Tomic began his 2011 season at the Brisbane International where he was given a main draw wild card. However, he lost to Florian Mayer in the first round 6–2, 6–2. At the Medibank International in Sydney, Tomic won through the qualifying draw with three straight set wins, all of which were against top 100 players. Despite taking the first set against Ukrainian Alexandr Dolgopolov, Tomic eventually lost his first round match 6–7(3), 6–1, 6–2. His performance in Sydney also earned him the final discretionary wildcard into the main draw of the Australian Open. In Melbourne, Tomic matched his two prior Open performances when he defeated Jérémy Chardy 6–3, 6–2, 7–6 (5) in the first round. He then recorded back-to-back main draw wins for the first time in his career when he defeated the 31st seed Feliciano López 7–6(4), 7–6(3), 6–3. In a much anticipated night match, Tomic lost to World No. 1 Rafael Nadal in the 3rd round 2–6, 5–7, 3–6, despite having led 4–0 in the second set. In February, he made the semi finals of the Burnie Challenger, before reaching the final of the Caloundra Challenger, losing to Grega Žemlja. Tomic is currently competing in the 2011 BNP Paribas Open, where he has been given a main draw wild card. In the first round, Tomic defeated Indian qualifier Rohan Bopanna in three sets, 6–7(5), 7–6(1), 6–4 to reach the second round of an ATP Masters 1000 tournament for the first time. He faced sixteenth seeded Serbian, Viktor Troicki in the second round where he lost 4–6 4–6. Tomic was granted a main draw wild card for the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami, losing in the first round to Pablo Andujar. öderling's type of game has been described as "brutal". He is known for his competitive drive and powerful game, hitting accurate hard ground strokes. His serve is heavy and precise, capable of generating a speed of over 225 km/h (140 mph). He can overpower most of his opponents and possesses a very good return game. His double-handed backhand is solid and dependable, while the forehand is regarded as one of the most lethal in today's game. Most of his success has come on faster surfaces (hard courts and indoor carpet), although his best Grand Slam results have occurred at the French Open; this is thought to be due to the heavy conditions and slowness of the clay which allow him more time to set up his powerful shots] Many people have praised Söderling for his game, saying he is a Grand Slam contender and stable top tenner,] though his mental strength and lack of consistency in his game have been his weaknesses. But in recent years, his mental toughness has improved considerably and this has raised the consistency of his game; much of this has been attributed to the influence of his previous coach, former world #2 and 2000 French Open finalist Magnus Norman. Söderling wears Lottoclothing and recently switched from the Head YOUTEK Radical Midplus racquet to the Head Youtek Prestige Midplus.
