Robin Soderling back on track - Anabel Medina Garrigues makes history

It was a most successful weekend for the HEAD Racquet rebels as they claimed three titles in total. While Robin Soderling won his home Swedish Open in Bastad, Anabel Medina Garrigues was the winner in Palermo, Roberta Vinci picked up doubles honours in Palermo.

HEAD racquet rebel Robin Soderling won the Swedish Open in Bastad, putting the player and his YouTek Prestige MP back into championship form. Top seed Soderling crushed Spain's David Ferrer 6-2, 6-2 as he claimed his fourth season title after Marseille, Brisbane and Rotterdam. He also beat fellow HEAD player Tomas Berdych 6-0, 6-1 in the semi-finals.

World’s No. 5 was never in trouble on the clay, heading home to victory as he earned a break of serve against the Spaniard while leading a set and 4-2. Soderling, who has come back from injury and did not play in Davis Cup after Wimbledon, improved to 10-4 over the Spaniard whom he beat last in November in London. "It's been a great week for me, I'm really satisfied with the way I played, from the first point to the last point in this tournament," said the winner. "I played my best tennis at the most important moments."

Soderling says his physical problems are behind him now. "I feel really good, finally, my body feels good. I struggled a little bit with some injuries the past couple of months. Bur now my confidence is really good. I am going to work hard now and hopefully I can do well in the US."

On the clay of Palermo, Anabel Medina Garrigues playing with her YouTek Extreme MP found her comfort zone for a fifth title in the Sicilian capital, defeating Slovenian seventh seed Polona Hercog in the final 6-3, 6-2. Spain's Medina Garrigues now owns ten clay titles and has passed Venus Williams for most WTA clay court titles among active players. She also won Estoril in the spring, standing an impressive 11-6 in career singles finals.

Her Palermo Poker of five titles sets a record achieved by only three other active players: Venus Williams (five at Wimbledon), Serena Williams (five in Melbourne and in Miami) and Kim Clijsters in Luxembourg. "I think Polona was a little bit tired, because she won in Bastad last week and made the final here too," said Medina Garrigues. "I played a really good match, I was very serious today.

Italian Roberta Vinci, winner of singles trophies this year on grass in the Netherlands and on clay in Hungary, picked up doubles honours in Palermo as she teamed with fellow Italian Sara Errani for a 7-5, 6-1 title win over Czechs Andrea Hlavackova and Klara Zakopalova.