Nikolay Davydenko re-ignites his spark while Gasquet progresses in Doha – Tennis News

Nikolay Davydenko re-ignites his spark while Gasquet progresses in Doha – Tennis News

Former world number three, Nikolay Davydenko from Russia, recreated his old magic to stun top seeded David Ferrer at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open 2013, an ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) World Tour 250 series event taking place in Doha, Qatar. The second seed, Richard Gasquet, on the other hand eased past the German qualifier, Daniel Brands, in straight sets to reach the final showdown.

The Russian veteran displayed flawless tennis to stun the world number five, Ferrer, in their fifth meeting. After ruling the match in almost an hour-long marathon, Davydenko improved to a 4-1 record in the FedEx ATP Head 2 Head series against the Spanish number two and secured a spot in the title-round.

“Physically I was strong,” said the Russian star in a courtside interview after recording this upset victory. “[My] concentration was good. I fought for every point [in the first set].  [The] second set was a little bit tougher. I would like to beat everybody who is in the Top 10. It doesn’t matter if I’m not there.”

Davydenko will square off against the French number two, Gasquet, in the final round.

Ranked 10^th in the South African Airways ATP World Tour Rankings, Gasquet needed one hour and 37 minutes to triumph over Brands. He cashed in a single break opportunity towards the end of each set and eventually formulated a 7-5, 7-5 score line. The French star produced a lower first serve share but spectacularly availed 37 out of 44 points on it to earn the fame.

Gasquet reflected on his mission of cracking the Top Five, “I will try to do my best. I don’t know what I can do this year. But in every match, I will try to fight, I will try to prepare better [for the] Grand Slams and win some tournaments. To start in Doha, [by reaching] the final is important.”

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Posted by Awais Ahmed on Jan 5 2013. Filed under Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.