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Soderling closes in on title

Marseille semi-final
Image: Soderling: Boomed down 11 aces in semi-final success

Robin Soderling looks odds on for a second successive title after reaching the final of the Marseille Open.

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Swede serves up a treat to book final berth with Cilic

Robin Soderling looks odds on for a second successive title after reaching the final of the Marseille Open. The top seed powered into Sunday's showpiece with a 7-5 6-1 win over Dmitry Tursunov to seal a match-up with Marin Cilic. Soderling was victorious in Rotterdam last week and the world number four is a red-hot favourite to get his hands on another crown after demolishing in-form Tursunov in one hour and 15 minutes. Soderling, who also claimed the Brisbane trophy in the first week of the season, fired 11 aces at his Russian opponent as he bids to secure three titles in a year for the first time. Unseeded Croatian Cilic survived a match point at 3-5 in the final set to outlast Russian number three seed Mikhail Youzhny. The 22-year-old set up a ninth final of his career in contrasting fashion, with a 6-2 1-6 7-5. Cilic will now be gunning for a sixth title in only his second meeting with Soderling - the last saw the Swede prevail comfortably en route to the French Open final last year.