Which player beat Federer at the 2010 French Open, ending his run of 23 major semifinals?

Robin Söderling beat Roger Federer at the 2010 French Open, ending Federer’s run of 23 consecutive major semifinals. Söderling won their quarterfinal 3–6, 6–3, 7–5, 6–4 on Court Philippe-Chatrier in Paris.

The defeat ended a remarkable streak that began at the 2004 Wimbledon Championships. Federer had reached at least the semifinal stage at every major through the 2010 Australian Open, winning 14 titles during that span. His 23-major run remains one of the defining feats of his peak years.

Söderling’s victory was especially notable because Federer had defeated him in the previous year’s French Open final. In 2010, however, Söderling recovered after losing the first set and used his powerful groundstrokes to control the later stages. He went on to reach the final again, where Rafael Nadal defeated him in straight sets.

A common mix-up is confusing this match with Söderling’s 2009 upset of Rafael Nadal. That earlier victory came in the fourth round; the 2010 win over Federer was a quarterfinal result.