ABU DHABI // Spectators at Zayed Sports City Tennis Complex today will witness a repeat of the French Open final as Robin Soderling takes on Roger Federer in the semi-finals of the Capitala World Tennis Championship.
The Swede set up the scintillating semi-final showdown after beating the world No 1's Swiss compatriot Stanislas Wawrinka 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-2) last night.
Soderling, ranked No 8 in the world, has never beaten Federer in 12 attempts, but is getting gradually closer faced him in the past three grand slams.
Beaten in straight sets in the final at Roland Garros and the last 16 at Wimbledon, Soderling took a set from the 15-time major winner at the US Open in New York in September.
"Against Roger it is tough because he handles ever aspect of the game so well," said Soderling.
"That is why he is the best player in the world, and probably the greatest player of all time. There is little point in having tactics against him.
"I know I need to serve well and take my chances.
"Even though he is a great player, I think I will always get a few chances and when I get them I know I must take them."
The 25-year-old player is adamant that every time the two meet he improves as a player and believes Abu Dhabi can bring out the best in him.
"The more times he has beaten me, the closer I am getting to a win," said Soderling. "I have come close a few times and each time we meet I feel like I am learning something. For me, it is perfect to play him here because I can learn so much from competing against him. It would be a great feeling to beat Roger. I beat Rafa in France when he was No 1 and it always feels great to beat the world No 1. But I know I will need to be at my best."
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Five famous companies founded by teens
There are numerous success stories of teen businesses that were created in college dorm rooms and other modest circumstances. Below are some of the most recognisable names in the industry:
- Facebook: Mark Zuckerberg and his friends started Facebook when he was a 19-year-old Harvard undergraduate.
- Dell: When Michael Dell was an undergraduate student at Texas University in 1984, he started upgrading computers for profit. He starting working full-time on his business when he was 19. Eventually, his company became the Dell Computer Corporation and then Dell Inc.
- Subway: Fred DeLuca opened the first Subway restaurant when he was 17. In 1965, Mr DeLuca needed extra money for college, so he decided to open his own business. Peter Buck, a family friend, lent him $1,000 and together, they opened Pete’s Super Submarines. A few years later, the company was rebranded and called Subway.
- Mashable: In 2005, Pete Cashmore created Mashable in Scotland when he was a teenager. The site was then a technology blog. Over the next few decades, Mr Cashmore has turned Mashable into a global media company.
- Oculus VR: Palmer Luckey founded Oculus VR in June 2012, when he was 19. In August that year, Oculus launched its Kickstarter campaign and raised more than $1 million in three days. Facebook bought Oculus for $2 billion two years later.
