'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Davydenko announces retirement
The other night, I saw a post which saddened me, even though I very well knew that it was coming sooner than later.
Nikolay Davydenko, the former Russian No. 1 and the only man in the ATP circuit to have a positive head-to-head against Rafael Nadal in more than 10 encounters, decided to hang the racquets.
The winner of three Masters tournaments and a World Tour Finals, Davydenko was one of the most cherished players on tour. The backhand, hot but elegant, was a trademark of the 33-year-old. Remembered for his aggressive baseline play and tactical ability to shift directions of ball at will, Davydenko was unsurprisingly a big threat to Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal when they were all but infallible.
Test for Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer
Davydenko has his name engraved in the elite list of players to have defeated Roger and Rafa in the same tournament. The moment came at the Qatar Open in 2010. Davydenko dispatched Federer 6-4, 6-4 in semi-finals, and then went on to defeat Nadal in one of the most incredible 3-set matches.
However, despite recording victories against the world’s best, Davydenko was unable to add a single Grand Slam to his trophy cabinet. Unfortunately for Davydenko, he played in a period when both Federer and Nadal were at their peak.
The Swiss and Spanish champions eclipsed almost all the potential Grand Slam winners in the last decade. Barring a few Slams, the two collected everything that was in store for them between 2005 and 2010, refusing to even give a glimpse of hope for other contenders. Davydenko was amongst that bunch of players, but he had those moments when the duo looked vulnerable against him.
Favourite for the 2010 Australian Open
Davydenko played unnoticed for most of his life in the shadow of ‘the greatest rivalry’. But come 2009, he was hitting headlines all over the tennis world. He won Shanghai masters, and a month later finished the season on high note by winning his first year-end Finals, defeating Federer and US Open winner Juan Martin del Potro en route. Davydenko’s impressive performance gave him the due title for the Australian open: the favorite.
Grand Slam eluded the Russian
The Russian was well on his way towards his maiden Grand Slam title when he raced forwad with a set and break up against Federer in the quarter-finals. But the fortunes shifted gears in an abrupt manner, as Federer won consecutive 13 games, and eventually prevailed in four sets.
That loss perhaps shattered his only remaining confidence against the ‘Big 2’ at the majors. Soon, he was grappling with a wrist injury and made indefinite attempts to match his previous best. He never regrouped and went down the history books as the fighter – but never as the champion.
Nikolay Davydenko was one of the last heroes of the past decade who constantly struggled against the aura of Federer and Nadal. Roddick, Hewitt, Nalbandian, Davydenko, they all shared a cruel reality: they are inarguably the champions but not in this era.
