PARIS: Sweden’s Robin Soderling, the conqueror of four-time champion Rafael Nadal, reached the French Open final on Friday with a dramatic 6-3, 7-5, 5-7, 4-6, 6-4 victory over Chile’s Fernando Gonzalez.

The Swedish 23rd seed will now face sentimental favourite Roger Federer, who is bidding to win a record-setting 14th Grand Slam title. The Swiss beat Argentine Juan Martin Del Potro 3-6, 7-6, 2-6, 6-1, 6-4.

With compatriot and six-time winner Bjorn Borg in support, the 24-year-old clinched a famous victory, coming back from 1-4 down in the final set, to reach his first Grand Slam final. Soderling, who had never got beyond the third round in any of his 21 previous majors, is the first Swede to reach the final since coach Magnus Norman in 2000 while Mats Wilander was the country’s last champion in 1988.

“It’s unbelievable. I played well in the first two sets. Then he started to play incredibly well,” said the Swede. “I was down a break in the final set but I said to myself that I have nothing to lose. I started to return great and everything changed. I still have far to go with the most difficult match, maybe against Federer, to come on Sunday.”

Gonzalez, the 12th seed, admitted that the Swede, who also put out 10th seeded Russian Nikolay Davydenko and Spanish 14th seed David Ferrer in his run to the final, had played at a consistently high level. “I never felt comfortable. I couldn’t hit clearly and it was tough,” said Gonzalez who was trying to become the first Chilean finalist since 1960. “I served at 4-3 in the final set and I knew I had the match in my hands. I wanted to win it on my first serves, not second, but he made some great returns. If he keeps serving at over 200khm and finding the lines, it’ll be tough for whoever he faces in the final.”

Soderling stormed to a 5-2 lead on his way to claiming the opening set, comfortably winning the early battle of the big forehands, firing 10 winners to the Chilean’s two. Gonazalez had to save three break points in the ninth game of the second set before Soderling saved a set point in the 10th with his eighth ace of the contest.

The 28-year-old Chilean was under siege. He saved another three break points in the 11th game, before a wild forehand allowed his opponent to grab the initiative for a 6-5 lead. That became a two-sets advantage when Gonzalez could only push a forehand wide.

But the big-hearted Gonzalez refused to surrender.

With French basketball

hero Tony Parker and his Hollywood actress wife Eva Longoria slipping into the VIP box, Gonzalez slashed the deficit, taking the third set when a Soderling forehand lost its sense of direction.

The 24-year-old Swede’s big game suffered a sudden, dramatic power cut as the full-blooded forehand, which had destroyed Nadal, deserted him. Gonzalez overcame

a lengthy and comical dispute with chair umpire Emmanual Joseph to level the semi-final, taking the fourth set when Soderling pushed a weak

forehand wide.

The Chilean was quickly 2-0 ahead in the decider, but Soderling retrieved the break to trail 3-4 and then incredibly broke again to lead 5-4. He claimed victory with one final, power-packed, deep forehand which left Gonzalez floundering and the Swede on his knees in disbelief at his achievement.