“Suddenly people saying I am hot? What is this hot?”
Nikolay Davydenko’s English is as fractured as his tennis is crisp but, if it improves, maybe we will get to see the real man behind the mask.
We should because, for the past three months, the little Russian has been the best tennis player on the planet. Tournament wins in Shanghai, the ATP Finals in London and Qatar with victories over Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal along the way offer credence to that statement and Monday he took another step forward, beating Fernando Verdasco 6-2, 5-7, 6-4, 6-7, 6-3 to reach the quarterfinals of the Australian Open for the fourth time in five years.
But he has never gone further. Could this be the year?
The fact that “Davydenko Loses Set!” could make a headline suggests that it could be because he not only handled the sudden pressure of having to play a top player -- Verdasco is ranked ninth to the Russian’s sixth -- but also of surviving a five-set marathon that lasted 3 hours, 57 minutes. Previous opponents here, including the durable 30th ranked Juan Monaco of Argentina, have been dismissed with such ease that all three of his matches contained a 6-0 set.
Verdasco was made of sterner stuff. He couldn’t quite replicate the extraordinary losing battle he staged here last year against Nadal in the semifinal, but the Spanish left-hander did refuse to go away when Davydenko seemed to have everything under control in the fourth set.
The standard of tennis never reached last year’s heights but there was much to admire as well as bemoan as Verdasco’s whiplash forehand peppered the court with winners while his backhand frequently let him down. Davydenko observed all this and went along his subdued and studious way. Although less likely to go to the net than his opponent, he was efficient when he did get there and refused to get flustered when Verdasco turned the fourth set breaker around to take it 7-5 after trailing 2-5.
However, Davydenko was not impressed with himself.
“Normally I play good in tiebreak -- today really bad,” he said. “Up 5-2 with two serves to come -- I was disappointed. My confidence goes down. I was really tired. I was fighting myself at the beginning of the fifth set.”
Whichever Davydenko won that contest, the winner emerged capable of taking control of the situation as Verdasco’s concentration slipped. Verdasco said that it was his legs that went.
“I wasn’t able to play at the same level as the third and fourth sets,” he said.
But Davydenko had another opinion: “He’s staying physically strong but not mentally,” said the Russian. “He can make mistakes.”
You can probably turn the problem around for Davydenko. His mind is well capable of remaining focused for long periods but Verdasco thinks that his chances of winning a Slam are reduced because he will not be able to go the distance over five sets when he comes up against Federer or Nadal.
“That’s why they win all the Slams,” Verdasco said. “They know how to win five-set matches. Physically they are so strong.”
Novak Djokovic is looking stronger than he did here last year when he was defending champion and suffering from foot problems as well as trying to come to terms with a change of racket. Today he disposed of the improving Pole, Lukasz Kubot 6-1, 6-2, 7-5 and said he was well satisfied with his form.
“I didn’t want to underestimate my opponent because I played him in the final of the Serbian Open in Belgrade last year,” Djokovic said, referring to the ATP event his family owns. “I think the first two sets I was very dominant.
Then he lifted up his level a little bit. But I think my serve was much more consistent today which gave me a lot free points.”
