Nikolay Davydenko Nullifies Nadal in Doha: Australian Open Awaits...

Watching the finals today in the match between Nikolay Davydenko and Rafael Nadal at the Exxon Mobile Qatar Open in Doha was a mesmerizing experience. 

Nadal clubbed Davydenko into submission in the first set, serving up an underdone bagel—clipping him by a brisk, 6-0 score. It was a thorough beat-down. Nadal won 72 percent of the points in the first set. No blood was visible because all the real damage was inflicted internally with no evident bruising. 

It was a master clinic in domination—in putting your opponent down and keeping him there, without hope of recovery.

Davydenko won only 35 percent of his first-serve points while Nadal won 88 percent of his. Davydenko was broken in all three of his service games in the first set, which was over in about 32 minutes. 

All over but the shouting—right? Wrong. 

In case you have been missing in action the past few months, the Russian is coming into his own these days on tour. He won the ATP World Tour Finals in London, defeating both Nadal and Federer along the way. 

Today he accomplished the same, having upset both the No. 1 and the No. 2 players on his way to another win—his 20th ATP tour victory—by rallying for a 0-6, 7-6, 6-4 victory.

Instead of standing in the pocket for another siege on his serve, Davydenko readied himself for battle and ratcheted up his determination. The Russian did not need to challenge Nadal to “bring it on” because the Spaniard knows nothing else.

The first game of the second set lasted almost 14 minutes as the Spaniard fought off three break points, taking the first game of the second set. Nadal noted right away that this was a changed man standing across the net. The first set would prove to be history not repeated.

The crowd cheered when Davydenko won his first game—the eighth of the contest. They expected a competitive match from Davydenko, who had denied them the match between Federer and Nadal that they hoped to be witnessing. 

Davydenko broke Nadal’s serve in the fifth game, 3-2, serving to take a 4-2 lead. The action was intense, and play crackled with superb shots, rewarding redoubled efforts. Both players were going for broke with shots skidding off the lines.   

When Nadal broke back to even the set at 5-5, everyone assumed it would be over quickly now that Nadal had reestablished himself back in the second set. But Davydenko held on to take it to a tiebreaker.

The Russian shot out to a 4-1 lead in the tiebreak with power hitting but then dropped both points on his own serve to let Nadal back into the proceedings. With some tough-as-nails hitting and a few gambles, the lithe Russian took the tiebreak, 10-8, sending the match to a third set.

The tide of expectation began to shift toward Davydenko, whose strength and effectiveness appeared to be increasing as Nadal’s continued to recede. In telling fashion, the commentators were beginning to favor the Russian in their comments.

Nadal, however, broke Davydenko in game three of the third set, but he could not sustain his advantage. The Russian with devastating tennis won three games in a row and seized a 4-3 advantage. 

With his whole retinue of shots making their mark, Davydenko stormed past Nadal and took the third set, 6-4—and, with it, the match. 

Nadal had many opportunities to salt this match away, but he could not quell the fight in the obstinate Russian, who refused to give up and cave into the power of Nadal. Davydenko fought Nadal every step of the way. He fought back from the humiliation offered up to him in the first set to win this event for the first time in his career.

All of this gives rise to the question of Davydenko’s chances at the Australian Open. With his recent impressive victories against the top men in the game, he must be accorded as one of the favorites to win at Australia on a surface that suits his game. 

Although the Russian typically downplays his chances at taking a major, he must secretly be convinced that he can do it. The man who could have simply given up today against Nadal did nothing of the sort. He dug down deep and came up with a winner’s answer to adversity.

He has beaten the man he could never defeat twice in a row—Federer and Davydenko now holds a winning record over Nadal. There are not many who can make that claim. In fact, Davydenko holds a 5-1 record over Nadal on hardcourts, 5-4 overall head to head.

The 28-year-old Russian has been hovering in the top five in the world for many years—always good, but never good enough to take the top prize...until now. With his diminutive stature and his nondescript looks, he has been the “invisible” man on tour for years.

Now, after all this time, his game has come together and instilled him with belief. He has faced down the top players and now finds he can stand across the net from the world’s best and not count himself out. 

No one is going to be pleased to see Davydenko in his quarter as the Australian Open gets underway in a few days. This may be the year that the Russian finally realizes the top prize in his career...a Grand Slam trophy.