Davydenko-Puerta: tough to call

Davydenko-Puerta: tough to call
By Georges Homsi
Thursday, June 2, 2005

Mariano Puerta and Nicolay Davydenko (n°12) the two surprise packages of the 2005 French Open will dispute their first Grand Slam semi-final this Friday...A tough match to call.
Nicolay Davydenko hit the Paris clay fresh from an impressive win at Sankt Pölten. And his form has stayed with him through ten days of testing opposition, most notably with victories in the second week over last year's semi-finalist Guillermo Coria and a quarter-final victory in five sets over Tommy Robredo who had earlier overturned compatriot Marat Safin. A final berth will be the birthday present he is wishing for the day after he turns 24.
Mariano Puerta is disputing his first Grand Slam tournament since the 2003 US Open. After serving a 9th month suspension for using banned substances, he returned to the tour in July 2004 ranked 440th in the world. The Argentinian has climbed back steadily over the last year, winning on clay in Casablanca in April after losing out to Gaston Gaudio in the final in Buenos Aires in February. Here in Paris he has impressed with wins over in-form Ivan Ljubicic in the first round, compatriot Jose Acasuso in the last sixteen and Guillermo Canas in five hard fought sets in the quarters.
Davydenko has shown he can trade shots and stay the distance on clay. Like compatriot Yevgueny Kafelnikov he takes the ball early and can hit forehand winners with alarming ease. He'll need to be firing on all cyclinders against Puerta who will certainly try to keep him on his back foot.
Puerta, the chunky southpaw, will be relying on his terrifying forehand to wreak havoc down on the Russian. His heavy topspin drives, one-handed cross-court backhand and idiosyncratic scissor service will also keep Davydenko guessing.
The two players have only crossed paths once; in Hamburg, last month on clay, when the Russian emerged victorious in two sets (7-5 6-3).
Translation: David Spratt (Sportstranslations)