Davydenko outlasts Robredo for SF berth

Davydenko outlasts Robredo for SF berth
By Andrew Bogusch
Wednesday, June 1, 2005

Seventy-eight unforced errors, six double-faults and a late resurgence from Tommy Robredo could not keep Nickolay Davydenko from the first Grand Slam semi-final of his career Wednesday evening.A day before his 24th birthday, Davydenko built a two-sets-to-one lead as Robredo sleep-walked through the early portions of the match, only to see the Spaniard charge back to force a fifth set. But the Russian finally closed him out on his fourth match point for a 3-6 6-1 6-2 4-6 6-4 victory in three hours, 18 minutes on Court Philippe Chatrier."Feeling is…I don't know," said an exhausted Davydenko. "Like, after the match is like really tired. No feeling."Tomorrow I have birthday, 24, and we'll see. Tomorrow okay, no match."Davydenko failed in his only other attempt to reach a major semi earlier this year at the Australian Open. Down in the third set to Andy Rodthingy, he was forced to retire because of breathing problems stemming from the intense heat.And it looked like he might falter once again on Wednesday. He easily took the second and third sets as Robredo played listless and careless tennis, but allowed the 15-seed to hang around in the fourth when he did not hold up a break at 4-3. At 4-5, consecutive errors cost him another service game and the set, and Robredo was back in the match to stay.In the fifth, Davydenko squandered an early break to let the 23-year-old off the hook again. When he could not convert three match points returning at 5-3, Robredo still had a pulse. And that pulse got stronger when back-to-back errors left him one point from 5-all.But finally, on match point number four, Davydenko got his win on a rushed, over-hit backhand down the line from Robredo."[The] key, it was fighting, fighting. Like try to get every ball," Davydenko said. "Just try to do something what you can do because Robredo play well from baseline."Davydenko will move into the Top 10 for the first time ever Monday when the new rankings come out after his tenth straight victory and the 14th out of his last 15 matches.Robredo, meanwhile, possibly still feeling the effects of his five-set upset of Marat Safin two days ago, committed 85 unforced errors and provided Davydenko with 29 break points. His shot selection was often ill advised, especially on drop shots, and the emotion which carried him at times against Safin was non-existent until the fifth set."I have to see all the tournament, not just one day," said Robredo, who was also trying to reach his first career Slam semi. "I'm playing a lot of better and doing great matches. I did a great tournament here anyway."Friday, in his first Grand Slam final four, Davydenko faces Argentine Mariano Puerta, a five-set winner as well Wednesday. The two played in Hamburg in mid-May with the Russian winning in straight sets.

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