Chennai, Jan 4 : Top seed Robin Soderling sent out a strong message to the 32-man field of the $400,000 ATP Aircel Chennai Open tennis tournament, saying he is in good form and the Abu Dhabi event, where he reached the final last week, gave him the best possible preparation.

Chennai, Nov 26 : Robin Soldering of Sweden will be the top seed at the Aircel $450,000 ATP Chennai Open tennis tournament to be held here Jan 4-10.

Soldering, who ended Rafael Nadal's unbeaten run at the French Open earlier this year, is ranked ninth in the world while American Kim Kevin is the lowest ranked ATP player at 111 amongst the 25 players who have made the direct entrants list.

Last year's finalist Somdev Devvarman and Australian Open Junior champion, 17-year old Yuki Bhambri will receive wild card entries.

London, Nov 26 - One-time alternate Robin Soderling stepped up to claim the first semi-final spot as the ATP World Tour Finals moved toward the business end while Spain's Rafael Nadal dealt himself out of the competition with a second defeat.

Soderling fulfilled another tennis dream Wednesday with a 7-6 (7-5), 6-1 victory to end the 11-match winning streak of Novak Djokovic.

Russian Nikolay Davydenko left world number two Nadal winless after two matches and out of the running with a 6-1, 7-6 (7-4) result.

Paris - Swede Robin Soderling and holder Jo-Wilfried Tsonga both stayed in the long-odds chase for one of two remaining spots in the season-ending ATP championships with victories Thursday into the quarter-finals of the Paris Masters.

Eight seed Tsonga is the last of five men with any numerical chance of claiming a position in the eight-man wrap-up in London from November 22.

He kept his slender chances alive with a defeat of compatriot and 11th seed Gilles Simon 6-2, 6-3.

Chennai, Oct 26 : Robin Soderling of Sweden, ranked 10th in the world, has confirmed his participation in the Aircel Chennai Open tennis tournament to be held here Jan 4-10.

In a statement, Soderling said: "Aircel Chennai open is a much awaited event in the international tennis circuit. India is a fascinating country and I am looking forward to visiting India and playing at the tournament this year."

Washington - Defending champion Juan Del Potro got a free ride into the semi-finals of the Legg Mason Classic Friday as Swedish opponent Robin Soderling withdrew before their quarter-final with a right elbow injury.

Argentine Del Potro will now face off on Saturday with the winner from fourth-seeded Chilean Fernando Gonzalez and Germany's Tommy Haas.

French Open finalist Soderling stands 1-1 with Del Potro, looking for his first title since Auckland last season. Gonzalez leads last week's Los Angeles semi-finalist Haas 2
-1.

Paris - Swedish surprise Robin Soderling nailed his third straight victory over a seed, following up his weekend upset of Rafael Nadal with a 6-1, 6-3, 6-1 hammering of Nikolay Davydenko to elbow into the semi-finals of the French Open Tuesday.

Two days after stunning Spain's king of clay in the shock of the tournament, the number 25 who has never won a clay title finds himself Thursday facing the winner from Andy Murray and Fernando Gonzalez.