(Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
He had come through a three hour marathon the day before.
He had to be tired.
And he had to play the " ultimate competitor" in men's tennis today.
He had no chance, right?
He was just going to be raw meat for the hungry killer whale in Rafael Nadal.
If that is what the so-called experts thought and wrote, he ignored it all.
And just went to work.
As he always has throughout an almost decade long career on the Tennis tour.
The result: He upset top-seeded Nadal 7-6 (3), 6-3 in an exciting final encounter on Sunday to win the Shanghai Masters and thus claim his fourth title of the year.
He was brilliant, he was aggressive in the final.
And he showed us that he is capable of some scintillating ball-striking too.
It has been a highly successful Asian swing for the diminutive Nikolay Davydenko or "Kolya" as he is sometimes called, with tournament victories at Kaula Lampur (d. Fernando Verdasco) and now here in Shanghai - where he bested Novak Djokovic and Nadal back-to-back.
This victory in Shanghai though means much more for the Russian hustler than any of his previous three titles of the year.
His reaction tells us as much:
Throughout his career, he has faced more flak than he has deserved.
The favourite punchbag of Men's Tennis, he has been, many times, accused of lacking competitiveness, fight and in one instance—match-fixing too.
Some say he is no joy to watch. Which may be true.
Some say he doesn't have that cutting edge against the really big players in the biggest events (ie: the Grand Slams). Which may be true too.
Some even say and pray that he "goes away" from Tennis elite (meant top eight) where he doesn't deserve a place.
Which is complete bull-crap.
For few have recognised Davydenko's importance to top flight tennis.
He has been finishing in the top five at the end of each season since 2004.
He is the model of consistency to the normal player on tour. For the reasonably, not incredibly, talented ones who aspire for the heights.
Which I guess means almost everyone but the Federers, Nadals, Delpotros, and the Djokovics (I have purposely avoided Murray—till he masters a slam).
He is the standard you have to equal to break into the elite club of the sport today.
He is not the top-four (rather big five now) class.
He never was and never will be.
But he is exactly that 'filter' you need to pass to make the elite of the sport.
He asks you the one question you need answer in the affirmative to make to the top 10—Can you be consistently good in playing the season out?
"If I win, it's good. If I lose, also it's okay." These are not exactly the kind of statements which are..errmmm...inspirational.
But Davydenko is not an inspiring player. Nor is he an exciting player.
He doesn't give us the kind of "Moments" a Federer or a Nadal will.
What he is, though—a thorough professional who is solid, not spectacular.
He is a ball-striker, not a shot-maker. The gatekeeper, not a great of the finest sport in the world.
Tennis has very much needed him in the last few years.
And it still does.
"Maybe I have more chance coming to London. Maybe everybody will retire in London and I can win London!"
He is a man without illusions. A player who is not flamboyant.
Tennis' low profile man.
But a player who is not unimportant. One who should not be criticized because you have nothing better to do.
He is not my favourite player.
Let me take the liberty to say—he will be the favourite player of perhaps just a handful of tennis lovers in the world...
But today, I find myself in great spirits—for, today it is sheer hard work that has been rewarded.
Finally. And deservedly.
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