Robin Soderling Tested By Ernests Gulbis

Robin Soderling was handed a tough test as he played his first match at the Toronto Masters when he pushed to three sets by Ernests Gulbis.

Soderling could look to rise as high as world number four if he has a good run in Toronto this week and Andy Murray struggles as the Swede has so far enjoyed another impressive year on tour.

But Gulbis is not a player that you want to see across the net from you in the second round as the Latvian is one of the most improved player on the ATP tour this year, he sent Federer packing at the Rome Masters back in April.

And the match was a high quality affair from the start as both men rallied from the baseline but a single break was enough to see Gulbis take the opening set in fine style.

But it was experience that won the day as Soderling battled back and in the third and final set Gulbis looked less confident of his shot choices and seemed to be forcing winners.

After two hours and seventeen minutes Sodering sealed the match with an ace to complete a tough and hard fought 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 win.

Speaking to the ATP after the match he said: "Ernests played very well today. He was serving huge and hitting the ball well. It was really tough for me to really get into the match.

"It took quite some time, but at the end of the second set and third set I think I played much better."

Soderling will now face David Nalbandian as the Argentine's winning run continues as he saw off tenth seed David Ferrer in his opening match.

Nalbandian marched to the title in Washington at the weekend but still looked in good shape as he stepped on the court to meet the Spaniard.

The pair traded breaks early in the opening set but it was Nalbandian who struck to prevent the set from going to a tie break as he wrapped it up 7-5.

Into the second and it was by no means a high class match as it was littered by errors from both men but it was no less compelling.

Nalbandian wavered in the second set and his service problems and poor backhand at times would see Ferrer take the second set to level at one a piece.

Into the decider and it was Ferrer who had the first chance when he had set point at 4-5 on Nalbandian's serve but the Argentine snuffed out the danger to level the set.

Just moments of having set point Ferrer found himself facing a break point of his own, a chance that he could fend off leaving Nalbandian serving for the match.

And despite having a chance to break back in that final game Nalbandian pulled out the good serves when he need them to progress to the third round.

Wimbledon finalist Tomas Berdych had no such trouble as he saw off Sergiy Stakhovsky, who had seen off Richard Gasquet in fine style the day before, for the loss of just six games.

After blowing out the cobwebs last week in Washington Berdych looked more comfortable on court and he notched up a 6-2 6-4 win.

He will face either Mikhail Youzhny or Alexandr Dolgopolov in the next round.

There was a three set battle for Fernando Verdasco as he eventually saw off Eduardo Schwank 6-0, 5-7, 6-2 while Sam Querrey also needed three set to dispatch Michael Russell finally winning 3-6 6-1 6-4.

But the big shock of the day saw Marin Cilic, the eleventh seed, crash out at the hands of Viktor Troicki in straight sets 6-4 7-6 (6-2) and he will now face Philip Kohlschreiber who benefited from the retirement of Janko Tipsarevic with an ankle injury.

FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw