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Estoril - Two-time French Open finalist Robin Soderling won't let a late start on serious claycourt play dent his confidence, with the top seed at the Estoril Open convinced he has the game to beat Rafael Nadal again on the surface.
"He's a great player, especially on clay," the world number five Swede said Monday as he prepared for a second-round start in his debut at the Portuguese event. "But you have to go to the court thinking that you have a chance.
"Otherwise, what's the point? Nadal is the best on clay ever but he can be beaten, You just have to play your best tennis and have some luck."
Soderling famously beat Nadal in the fourth round of the French Open in 2009, paving the way for a final between Roger Federer and Soderling which the Swiss won. Since that breakthrough, Soderling had become a regular member of the ranking top five. He then lost to Nadal in the French Open final a year ago.
Soderling will be playing this week after missing Monte Carlo to let Achilles tendon and knee injuries clear. His start last week in Barcelona was a dud as he lost in the second round to eventual semi-finalist Ivan Dodig of Croatia.
But the Swede does not feel he's in a race against time with the Madrid and Rome Masters 1000 tournament looming before the May 22 start of the grand slam in Paris.
"I wanted to play in Monte Carlo but I was not ready. But the clay season is long and now I'm injury-free. I feel ready to play well. This will be a tough tournament with a lot of guys who can win.
"But I'm feeling good with my game and I've had two and a half week of practice on the clay. I have to be counted among the favourites," said the Swede.
The 26-year-old backed world number three Roger Federer to do damage on the clay - "He is always among the guys who can win events" - as well as number two Novak Djokovic, an undefeated 24-0 this season who is stepping onto clay for the first time this season at home in Belgrade.
"It's very even at the top of the game, Djokovic has beaten Rafa twice this year (hardcourt) but clay is totally different. Nadal is good on everything, but on clay he's even better."
Soderling heads a field with Spain's Fernando Verdasco standing second ahead of debutant Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France and compatriot Gilles Simon, a 2009 quarter-finalist as fourth seed.
The joint ATP-WTA event got underway with the women's tournament taking centre stage.
Russian top seed Alisa Kleybanova earned a 6-2, 6-2 win over Olga Govortsova of Belarus to reach the second round while Johanna Larsson of Sweden beat the first of the Portuguese, putting out Magali de Lattre 6-3, 6-1.
