Anne-Marie StarkThis
win might just be the big one for Nikolay Davydenko.
Davydenko breaks big-match roadblock
Finally beats marquee players in top event
By
Abe Kuijl, Special to TennisReporters.net
FROM THE SONY ERICSSON OPEN IN MIAMI – For
the past three years, Nikolay Davydenko has been a near lock for reaching
the quarterfinals or semis at majors and Masters Series events. However,
he's been an even safer bet to lose those big matches, as he has never
gone past the semis at a Slam (he's 0-5 in those), and had only once
reached the final of a MS tournament before Miami. Davydenko won the
Paris Indoors Masters in 2006, but neither Roger Federer nor Rafael Nadal
were competing and the Russian beat unheralded Slovak Dominik Hrbaty
in the final.
Davydenko deserves full
respect for winning in Miami though, as the Sony Ericsson Open is considered
by some to be the fifth Slam, and all the tour's stars were present
in South Florida. The No. 4 posted his first win in six meetings over
Andy Roddick - who had just beaten Roger Federer – and overpowered
Rafael Nadal in the final 6-4, 6-2. He didn't lose a set in either
match.
"I say for me it's mostly crazy," Davydenko
laughed. He survived a match point in his first match against Ernests
Gulbis, and outlasted Italian Simone Bolelli and Mario Ancic in tight,
hard-fought three setters before finding his A-game against Roddick and
Nadal. Davydenko rightfully stated that winning this tournament has been
the best achievement of his career.
"Yes, because in Paris it was Federer not
playing, Nadal didn't play and I have in the final, Hrbaty, not top player," he
said. "Here Nadal was favorite, and also in semifinal was Roddick
favorite. Just beat two guys in two sets is like amazing for me."
"He played good match, but I didn't play well
today," said Nadal. "So when you don't play at 100 percent
at this level against top players, it's tough win, especially on hard
surface. So for sure it's tough. I was playing very, very good tennis
[the last weeks], but at the same time, I have to be happy about myself,
because I improve a lot my level, and I was there all the time. I think
soon I'm going to win a title? I hope so in Monte Carlo."
Against Nadal, Davydenko was rock-solid from the
baseline. He wouldn't move back from the line, no matter what kind of
shot Nadal came up with. If the Spaniard hit a ball deep, the Russian
would just half-volley the shot back with added pace, thus always keeping
the pressure on Rafa. Interestingly enough, Davydenko played most of
his shots towards Nadal's favored lefty forehand wing.
"I
have good backhand cross," said the
champion. "Why I need to play a long line to him and think about
what's happening? That's was I tried to play faster forehand and tried
to do something, you know, to make some winners. That's was -- it was
not think about play forehand or backhand, just feeling which ball, like,
for me important, where I need to hit and feel more confidence."
Anne-Marie StarkRafa
Nadal comes up short again in a TMS hard-court final.After losing his service
game at 1-all, Nadal immediately broke back and held two break points
in Davydenko's next service game. On his first opportunity, the Spaniard
netted a routine forehand. "After
this point he start playing match much better," Rafa said. "It
was a big change because he was doing some mistakes. I was doing the
same mistakes, too, but at this moment he changed a lot in the match.
He start playing much better and was big change for me, no? And I didn't
found a way. I didn't see the way to try to change the match." Nadal
was forced into a backhand error on the second break point, and would
lose his next service game at love. Davydenko would not face another
break point in the match as he rolled to victory.
"I remember, you know, [Novak] Djokovic beat
Nadal in Indian Wells," the No. 4 said. "He's play the same
game. Because I remember he have good forehand, backhand, baseline, and
he played short cross to him and very good control. Also play fast. You
know, Nadal have no chance."
BACKCOURT PROESS DOESN'T SHOW UP UNDER PRESSURE
Davydenko
has always been one of the best players from the back court, but his
main problem has always been his inefficiency of stepping up on the
big points. He was on top of Federer in their Roland Garros semifinal
last year, but faltered at the end of each set, to go down in straights.
A few weeks earlier, the Russian came close to beating Nadal on clay
in Rome, but after a three-hour slugfest, Nikky D. again came up short.
Winning what can be seen
as the biggest Masters Series event of the year will surely give Davydenko
the feeling he belongs among the elite ranks, and just might make him
hold his nerve better the next time he faces one of the big guns in
the closing stages of a Slam. "Maybe something change, my tennis here in Miami," Davydenko
said. "I hope in the future also. Maybe I feel more confidence because
I beat very good guys here, and now and in the future I start coming
and I play something maybe different, maybe much better, much faster."
The Russian is still being investigated regarding
his infamous loss in Poland last year for which an extraordinary amount
of money was bet against him. But Davydenko said he is no longer worried
about the case.
"It's not every
day in my mind. It's in my mind if you ask me about this one. Because
now I go from here, from the press, I forget already, because for me
it's not now important. I don't think about investigation. It should
be my lawyer thinking, and my manager. But for me, it's like really
I'm forget straight what you're asking me."
Nadal will still be the man to beat on clay courts
this year, and he'll have a very good chance to win his fourth consecutive
Roland Garros crown in June, provided he doesn't overplay himself in
the four tournaments (Monte Carlo, Barcelona, Rome, Hamburg) he's scheduled
to play before heading to Paris. Last year, Rafa reached the finals in
all four of those events. He only lost one of those matches, in Hamburg,
where he completely burned out against Federer.
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