23. July 2005
Davydenko Retires – Gaudio in Final -
For the second time in a row and the third time overall Gaston Gaudio has managed to reach the final of the MercedesCup. The Argentinean player clearly had the better start in the match against the No. 2 seed, the Russian Nikolay Davydenko. The 2004 French Open champion won the first set 6:3 and went into the second set with a very promising 2:0. Davydenko, No. 7 in the world rankings, who had already been treated by the tournament physiotherapist during the interval between the sets, was then able to take Gaudio’s service game, but finally had to give in to his illness. At a score of 2:1, the Russian retired, giving the Argentinean another chance to win the Mercedes-Benz champion’s car in the final. - In spite of the unusual turn the match had taken, Gaudio was very happy over his successful semi-final. “Of course I am sorry for him,” he said in view of Davydenko’s bad luck, “But of course it is much better for me.” Now he is concentrating on the final against Rafael Nadal. “That is a super situation to be able to play against him, to try to beat him and break his series of wins. And anyway, I will be playing here for the third time in the final. That means a lot of great things are going to happen tomorrow.” There is no doubt, continued Gaudio, that the Spaniard is the clear favourite for the coming duel. “But every match is different and writes a story of its own.” Irrespective of how the final ends, the three-time MercedesCup finalist is full of praise for Weissenhof, “I love this tournament.”
http://mercedescup.trendspurt.de/_press/?&block_id=2&activelevel=4&activelevel_2=0
Saturday, July 23, 2005
Friday, July 22, 2005
Roddick Loses at Indy, Pulls From L.A.
Roddick Loses at Indy, Pulls From L.A.
Posted on July 23, 2005
Top 3 Seeds Into Semifinals at ATP Stuttgart
The top three seeds advanced into the semifinals Friday at the ATP claycourt stop in Stuttgart with winners (1) Rafael Nadal (d. Zib), (2) Nikolay Davydenko (d. (11) Berdych), and (3) Gaston Gaudio (d. Zabaleta in three)."I think I played a very good match having a lot of confidence," Nadal said. "I was in control all the time, which is good for the confidence. Every match is difficult and different. I try to play my best in every match."Also into the semis was unseeded Fin Jarkko Nieminen who defeated Italian Andreas Seppi in straight sets.Nadal now has the most consecutive clay wins since Thomas Muster won 40 straight in 1995.Saturday's semifinal match-ups are (1) Nadal vs. Nieminen (first meeting), (3) Gaudio vs. (2) Davydenko (Gaudio leads 4-0), and in doubles Nadal/Verdasco vs. Hood/Robredo, and (WC)Beck/Rieschick vs. Acasuso/Prieto
http://www.tennis-x.com/story/2005-07-23/d.php
Posted on July 23, 2005
Top 3 Seeds Into Semifinals at ATP Stuttgart
The top three seeds advanced into the semifinals Friday at the ATP claycourt stop in Stuttgart with winners (1) Rafael Nadal (d. Zib), (2) Nikolay Davydenko (d. (11) Berdych), and (3) Gaston Gaudio (d. Zabaleta in three)."I think I played a very good match having a lot of confidence," Nadal said. "I was in control all the time, which is good for the confidence. Every match is difficult and different. I try to play my best in every match."Also into the semis was unseeded Fin Jarkko Nieminen who defeated Italian Andreas Seppi in straight sets.Nadal now has the most consecutive clay wins since Thomas Muster won 40 straight in 1995.Saturday's semifinal match-ups are (1) Nadal vs. Nieminen (first meeting), (3) Gaudio vs. (2) Davydenko (Gaudio leads 4-0), and in doubles Nadal/Verdasco vs. Hood/Robredo, and (WC)Beck/Rieschick vs. Acasuso/Prieto
http://www.tennis-x.com/story/2005-07-23/d.php
Nadal cruises to 32nd straight win on clay
Nadal in top form again -- 32nd clay win in a row
By ROY KAMMERERJuly 22, 2005
...Second-seeded Nikolay Davydenko of Russia also advanced, beating Czech Tomas Berdych 6-4, 6-2. In the semifinals, he will face third-seeded Gaston Gaudio, a 6-4, 1-6, 6-2 winner against fellow Argentine Mariano Zabaleta...
http://sports.yahoo.com/ten/news?slug=ap-stuttgart&prov=ap&type=lgns
By ROY KAMMERERJuly 22, 2005
...Second-seeded Nikolay Davydenko of Russia also advanced, beating Czech Tomas Berdych 6-4, 6-2. In the semifinals, he will face third-seeded Gaston Gaudio, a 6-4, 1-6, 6-2 winner against fellow Argentine Mariano Zabaleta...
http://sports.yahoo.com/ten/news?slug=ap-stuttgart&prov=ap&type=lgns
Alexander Waske: “It was incredibly difficult ”
21. July 2005
Alexander Waske: “It was incredibly difficult ” Yesterday – before the match at the 27 th MercedesCup against No. 2 seed Nikolay Davydenko – Alexander Waske announced he would fight to the bitter end. And that is almost exactly what happened as the No. 121 in the ATP Entry List made life very difficult for the No: 7 in the rankings. “It started off very well. But it is really incredibly difficult to find a free spot where you can put the ball.” According to Waske, the Russian moves terribly quickly and returns very well. But especially in the first set, it was easy to forget the great difference between the two in the rankings. For a short time in the decisive phase it even looked as if the 30-year-old would surprise everyone and win the match. “At 6:5 and 0:30 I had him just where I wanted him. He was on the edge of the cliff and if I had been able to push him over at that point, perhaps he would have given up in frustration. But then he took four points in a row.” The Russian won the following tie break won 7:3 and in the second set he was able to counter Waske’s very fast and powerful game even better. After exactly one and a half hours, Davydenko managed to get into the quarter-finals with a score of 6:3.
http://mercedescup.trendspurt.de/_press/?&block_id=2&activelevel=4&activelevel_2=0
Alexander Waske: “It was incredibly difficult ” Yesterday – before the match at the 27 th MercedesCup against No. 2 seed Nikolay Davydenko – Alexander Waske announced he would fight to the bitter end. And that is almost exactly what happened as the No. 121 in the ATP Entry List made life very difficult for the No: 7 in the rankings. “It started off very well. But it is really incredibly difficult to find a free spot where you can put the ball.” According to Waske, the Russian moves terribly quickly and returns very well. But especially in the first set, it was easy to forget the great difference between the two in the rankings. For a short time in the decisive phase it even looked as if the 30-year-old would surprise everyone and win the match. “At 6:5 and 0:30 I had him just where I wanted him. He was on the edge of the cliff and if I had been able to push him over at that point, perhaps he would have given up in frustration. But then he took four points in a row.” The Russian won the following tie break won 7:3 and in the second set he was able to counter Waske’s very fast and powerful game even better. After exactly one and a half hours, Davydenko managed to get into the quarter-finals with a score of 6:3.
http://mercedescup.trendspurt.de/_press/?&block_id=2&activelevel=4&activelevel_2=0
Davydenko Still Has Clean Slate – 6:4, 6:2 against Berdych
22. July 2005
Davydenko Still Has Clean Slate – 6:4, 6:2 against Berdych - It only took Nikolay Davydenko one hour and 11 minutes to defeat young Tomas Berdych on Friday morning to get into the semi-final round of the 27 th MercedesCup. - Once again the No. 2 seed did not lose one single set and kept his clean slate at Weissenhof. Nineteen-year-old Berdych felt superiority of his five-years-older opponent from the very first game in the first set when Davydenko promptly took his service game. The Czech may have been able to stand up to him in his other serving games, but the set still went 6:4 to the Russian. The signs changed however in the second set, when Berdych was successful with his serves, starting the set with an open 2:2. Then the No. 7 in the world rankings took off and won the set easily 6:2.
http://mercedescup.trendspurt.de/_press/?&block_id=2&activelevel=4&activelevel_2=0
Davydenko Still Has Clean Slate – 6:4, 6:2 against Berdych - It only took Nikolay Davydenko one hour and 11 minutes to defeat young Tomas Berdych on Friday morning to get into the semi-final round of the 27 th MercedesCup. - Once again the No. 2 seed did not lose one single set and kept his clean slate at Weissenhof. Nineteen-year-old Berdych felt superiority of his five-years-older opponent from the very first game in the first set when Davydenko promptly took his service game. The Czech may have been able to stand up to him in his other serving games, but the set still went 6:4 to the Russian. The signs changed however in the second set, when Berdych was successful with his serves, starting the set with an open 2:2. Then the No. 7 in the world rankings took off and won the set easily 6:2.
http://mercedescup.trendspurt.de/_press/?&block_id=2&activelevel=4&activelevel_2=0
Wednesday, July 20, 2005
Nadal Extends Clay Winning-Streak to 30, Scores 100th Match Victory
Nadal Extends Clay Winning-Streak to 30, Scores 100th Match Victory
...Nikolay Davydenko, who reached the semifinals here last year, defeated Spaniard Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo 6-4, 6-1 to advance to the third round. The second seeded Davydenko is tied for fifth with fellow Russian Marat Safin in the INDESIT ATP 2005 Race.
Earlier this year, Davydenko won his fifth career singles title in St. Poelten and reached his first Grand Slam semifinal at Roland Garros....
http://www.atptennis.com/en/newsandscores/news/2005/stuttgart_wednesday.asp
...Nikolay Davydenko, who reached the semifinals here last year, defeated Spaniard Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo 6-4, 6-1 to advance to the third round. The second seeded Davydenko is tied for fifth with fellow Russian Marat Safin in the INDESIT ATP 2005 Race.
Earlier this year, Davydenko won his fifth career singles title in St. Poelten and reached his first Grand Slam semifinal at Roland Garros....
http://www.atptennis.com/en/newsandscores/news/2005/stuttgart_wednesday.asp
Tuesday, July 19, 2005
Russia adopts Davydenko as latest Davis Cup hero
Russia adopts Davydenko as latest Davis Cup hero
2005-07-18 13:38:17 GMT (Reuters)
By Gennady Fyodorov{MOSCOW, July 18 (Reuters) -
With Australian Open champion Marat Safin out injured and 2002 Davis Cup hero Mikhail Youzhny struggling for form, Russia have found a new leader in Nikolay Davydenko.
Davydenko won both his singles matches in the Davis Cup quarter-finals against France at Moscow's Olympic Stadium last weekend to guide Russia into the last four for the first time since 2002.
That year they went on to win the trophy by beating France in the final thanks to an amazing comeback victory by Youzhny. Last weekend the Ukraine-born and Germany-based Davydenko saved the day for his adopted country despite nursing a painful wrist injury.
The world number seven thrashed Paul-Henri Mathieu on opening day to level the best-of-five tie at 1-1, then on Sunday overwhelmed French teenager Richard Gasquet to even the score at 2-2 to set the stage for Igor Andreev to clinch a dramatic 3-2 win.
Unlike the telegenic Safin, Davydenko, who was born in the mining town of Severodonetsk in eastern Ukraine, keeps a low profile.
His rise to prominence, culminating at this year's French Open where he reached his first grand slam semi-final, has been a hard slog.
Solid but unspectacular, Davydenko relies on his shot selection rather than brutal power in winning matches.
Russia Davis Cup captain Shamil Tarpishchev paid tribute to Davydenko's tactical wisdom and ability to read the game to achieve success."Davydenko doesn't have Safin's power, (Roger) Federer's finesse nor (Andy) Roddick's serve, so he has to work much harder than those guys for every point," Tarpishchev said.
"It's his brain that sets him apart from the rest."
While some players like to talk about their achievements and future goals, humble Davydenko keeps his thoughts to himself.
Asked if his aim was to become the world number one and win a grand slam title after his showing at Roland Garros, Davydenko said: "Every player dreams of one day winning a grand slam and becoming number one in the world, I'm no different. But my main goal is to keep improving and become a better player."
People who know the soft-spoken 24-year-old say his modesty stems from his childhood. He left home at the age of 10, joining his elder brother Eduard, who later became his coach, in Volgograd.
Then they moved to Germany, settling in the small town of Trir, near the French border, where Eduard got a coaching job.
Davydenko won his first ATP title in January 2003 in Adelaide and repeated his success at the Estoril Open three months later.That year he also made his Davis Cup debut against the Czech Republic in the World Group first round in Ostrava where he beat Radek Stepanek in the decider to clinch Russia's victory.
With Safin recuperating from knee surgery, Tarpishchev is sure to count on Davydenko to lead Russia once again when they take on Croatia in the Davis Cup semi-finals in September.
"You can always count on Nikolay to give 100 percent no matter what," Tarpishchev said. "That's the most any coach can ask of a player."
2005-07-18 13:38:17 GMT (Reuters)
By Gennady Fyodorov{MOSCOW, July 18 (Reuters) -
With Australian Open champion Marat Safin out injured and 2002 Davis Cup hero Mikhail Youzhny struggling for form, Russia have found a new leader in Nikolay Davydenko.
Davydenko won both his singles matches in the Davis Cup quarter-finals against France at Moscow's Olympic Stadium last weekend to guide Russia into the last four for the first time since 2002.
That year they went on to win the trophy by beating France in the final thanks to an amazing comeback victory by Youzhny. Last weekend the Ukraine-born and Germany-based Davydenko saved the day for his adopted country despite nursing a painful wrist injury.
The world number seven thrashed Paul-Henri Mathieu on opening day to level the best-of-five tie at 1-1, then on Sunday overwhelmed French teenager Richard Gasquet to even the score at 2-2 to set the stage for Igor Andreev to clinch a dramatic 3-2 win.
Unlike the telegenic Safin, Davydenko, who was born in the mining town of Severodonetsk in eastern Ukraine, keeps a low profile.
His rise to prominence, culminating at this year's French Open where he reached his first grand slam semi-final, has been a hard slog.
Solid but unspectacular, Davydenko relies on his shot selection rather than brutal power in winning matches.
Russia Davis Cup captain Shamil Tarpishchev paid tribute to Davydenko's tactical wisdom and ability to read the game to achieve success."Davydenko doesn't have Safin's power, (Roger) Federer's finesse nor (Andy) Roddick's serve, so he has to work much harder than those guys for every point," Tarpishchev said.
"It's his brain that sets him apart from the rest."
While some players like to talk about their achievements and future goals, humble Davydenko keeps his thoughts to himself.
Asked if his aim was to become the world number one and win a grand slam title after his showing at Roland Garros, Davydenko said: "Every player dreams of one day winning a grand slam and becoming number one in the world, I'm no different. But my main goal is to keep improving and become a better player."
People who know the soft-spoken 24-year-old say his modesty stems from his childhood. He left home at the age of 10, joining his elder brother Eduard, who later became his coach, in Volgograd.
Then they moved to Germany, settling in the small town of Trir, near the French border, where Eduard got a coaching job.
Davydenko won his first ATP title in January 2003 in Adelaide and repeated his success at the Estoril Open three months later.That year he also made his Davis Cup debut against the Czech Republic in the World Group first round in Ostrava where he beat Radek Stepanek in the decider to clinch Russia's victory.
With Safin recuperating from knee surgery, Tarpishchev is sure to count on Davydenko to lead Russia once again when they take on Croatia in the Davis Cup semi-finals in September.
"You can always count on Nikolay to give 100 percent no matter what," Tarpishchev said. "That's the most any coach can ask of a player."
Monday, July 18, 2005
Annie's fan report from Davis Cup 2005
OK here goes the report first.
Day 1
First of all my apologies to everyone who is waiting for photos but I have been a real idiot and left my camera yesterday at the office so there will be no photos from Day 1, but there will be many from days 2 and 3 I promise!!!!!!! My seats are fantastic so I am sure I will have good photo material for you Now about today.1. I am totally hoarse, I can hardly talk, I almost lost my voice so now I am whispering mainly ROTFL2. Andreev - Gasquet.Oh boy, I am now officially announcing that I am in love with that Russian boy LOL Everyone knew he would lose but noose expected it to be so beautiful. He fought like a man, some shots were like wow!!!! He is a real character, it got very tense in the third set and there was a slight light of hope there for us but Gasquet is Gasquet and Igor got a bit too nervous on a tie-break in the third set but anyway.....IGOR YOU'RE MY HERO AND WELL DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
2. Kolya - Matheu. HOLY MOTHER OF GOD!!!!!!! This is exactly when I lost my voice.....First set was equal but Kolya took advantage of some mistakes Paul-Henri made and he won it 7:5. Then in the second it was all way too obvious. Kolya picked up and Matheu looked lost, way too many mistakes from the French and as a result Kolya takes it 6:2 and that's when the fun started...NOT!!!!!!!!! Kolya leads 3:0 in the third set, then 4:0, then it's 5:2 and Kolya is serving....he has 3 MATCH BALLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Half an hour later it's 5:5 and everyone is like WTF????????????? Then he takes a medical break and I say "Oh nuts...that's it..." but my boy isn't that easy to beat 7:5 in the third set to Kolya and it's 1:1 in all!!!!!!!!!!!!THANK YOU KOLYA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YOU'RE GREAT AND WE ALL LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!So tomorrow it's my teddy bear Misha Youzhny and my new love Igor Andreev against Llodra and Clement. GOOD LUCK BOYS!!!!!!!!!!! I'LL BE WITH YOU!!!!!!!!!! I got to chat a little with Misha after Kolya's match and got his autograph too , he is such a darling!!!!!I am very lucky coz I sit right next to the extrance of players, so I see everyone really close!!!!Some funny observations today:Misha has something up his patata all the time ROTFL, the guy cannot sit still for a second, I am telling you!!! He's always turning, looking at someone, talking to someone, jumping up and down..hilarious!!!Gasquet has his hand in his mouth 24/7!!!! That guy is constantly biting his nails!!!! LOLPhew...I am so excited I have no idea how I am going to sleep tonight!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!More reports on Monday and GO RUSSIA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!KISSES EVERYONE!!!!!!!!!!!
From Heaven to Hell and Back in 72 hours
Well, my dearest friends, sit down, fasten your seatbelts and we're off to re-live last weekend at the Olympic Stadium in Moscow. This is part 2 of my DC report and I apologise from the start if it may come too long, but God knows how many feelings and emotions I have piled up inside of me I also apologise for the quality of photos I am going to post a bit later, but the lighting in that place is awful for taking photos and my camera is not a professional or a big one, so some are not too good. I am going to scatter them around the message board. Group photos I will post them here, photos of separate players alone I shall post in their respective threads in Dinara and Other Players. Enjoy!!!!
Saturday, July 16. Hell breaks lose
Woke up in the morning in a brilliant mood, sun was shining, birds were singing, I got up, had my breakfast, got dressed, got my camera (!!! yay!!!!) and off I went. The score was 1:1 and I had all the reasons in the world to be optimistic.
So I got to the Stadium, went to my seat, the madness started. Teams came out and the crowd went wild. Tension was very high, you could see Igor being on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Poor thing, I mean he played his first match ever for Russia on Friday and lost, so I think he was really determined not to let the team down again. My Teddy Bear Misha was his usual self. Confident, serious and always having conversations...with himself LOL or with Igor. I must say that this is not the first time I watched Misha play doubles live and I must absolutely certainly say that in doubles he is really something. The way he winds himself and his partner up is incredible, if his partner makes a mistake, he is always cheering him up, always talking to his partner....marvellous...a real character.
At a certain point the game got a bit ugly, it is inevitable in doubles I guess, but you should have seen the atmosphere...Llodra made a few shots and they all went straight into Misha's body (once a bit below the waist actually and I was getting VERY worried there ), poor thing apologised about 600 times but Misha won't be Misha if it didn't drive him insane. For about half an hour after that Teddy Bear performed miracles....smashes one after another, into feet of Frenchmen, their bodies, everywhere...the guy was on a roll!!!!!!! Too bad it ended quickly and he calmed down, because at one point I thought he was going to kill them lol....WELL you all know the result of that one...it was soooooo sad. Misha was shattered, Igor just tried too hard to do well and....mistakes...quite too many...BUT the public was grateful. Noone could have said they didn't do their best or they didn't play full strength...it's just that Llodra and Clement are much better doubles players and Russia for many years now haven't had a stable doubles pair, but the boys were great.....it was indeed a sad sad day.
Sunday, July 17. Back to Heaven we go or Who Is Gasquet Again?
I went to bed at 1am on the night from Saturday to Sunday. I woke up at 5am and that was it, didn't sleep for a split second. I was feeling so sick with anxiety I didn't know what to do with myself. I got up, made tea and couldn't drink it. Tried to have breakfast and couldn't, tried to watch TV, but ermm don't remember what was showing. I was feeling so sick, I wanted to go to the loo and throw up (I'll be honest with you I tried LOL..didn't work..ewww) Hubby had to work on Sunday so he left early and I started to get ready. I was ironing the DC t-shirt I had bought the day before and I actually realised that I am reminding myself of a warrior getting ready for a battle Seriously, I have no idea what on earth was going through Kolya's and Igor's minds that day because me being just a fan....well I don't wish my state upon my worst enemy...
I got to the stadium (don't ask me how, I don't remember) and the worst thing hapenned. I was in my seat and in front of me there were these 2 men, I think one of them was a tennis coach or something, and they started going on and on how they don't see Russia getting a single point today and how both matches would be lost. On any other day I would have kept my mouth shut but not yesterday. I excused myself and told them that I am actually wondering WTF were they doing there in the first place if they were so certain. With an attitude like that, this was not the place to be, and even if they think it is, I asked them to keep their little "I know it all" talk to themselves, because we, the fans are not really amused sitting their listening to their "optimistic" rambles. I think they so didn't expect it that they actually apologised ROTFL I wished it all stopped there and then but another riot between me and some fans took place later (LMAO I was on a roll!!!!) but I'll get to it later
So Kolya and Gasquet were up first. Half an hour into the match noone had any doubt of who the winner will be. Sickness went in an unidentifiable direction and I was my good old self screaming my gutts out It was a beautiful beautiful match. Kolya's strategic abilities are something out of this world. Gasquet??? The guy who beat Federer in Monte Carlo??? Not anymore...Gasquet is the guy Kolya Davydenko having a wrist injury smashed all over the CLAY court in Moscow Poor Richard looked so lost. He couldn't do anything and I mean anything...Kolya was saving balls, which were out of this world...it was incredible....I haven't seen anything so beautiful on a tennis court for a while now....amazing!!!!! So 4 sets later (6:2, 4:6, 6:2, 6:1 !!!!!!! ) it was 2:2 and the stadium was going wild......this is when I started to worry again....
I went outside for a ciggie and to call hubby to tell him the good news and as I was coming back I saw Igor in the hall going into the changing room. This was a sight I will never forget. Poor thing...he was green pale and looked sooooo nervous. I mean just think about it. You just turn 22, they tell you that this time you will HAVE to play for Russia and be a no 2 in the team after Kolya because Misha is still recovering from his leg injury and Marat is injured, and now your whole country is waiting for you to perform a miracle. Oh I felt sooooo sorry for him. A quarter of an hour later he got out of the changing room and we bumped into each other again, I smiled and told him "Good luck Igor. You can do it!", he turned, looked at me, smiled and said "Thank you.I'll do my best" That was a moment when I knew he would win. The amazing makeover that took place in the changing room (ermm a CHANGING room it was indeed) I don't know what it was...I don't know what the guys did to him but that look in his eyes was so devilish and naughty that I just knew he was more than ready for a battle.When Igor and Matheu got out on court, I cannot tell you what was going on in the Stadium, hell broke lose, the French fans with their drums, songs and cheers wearing the same t-shirts, waving flags, etc. could not be heard for the first time in 3 days, Russians went wild, all you could hear was "Russia!" and "Igor" and that kept going till the match finished. Before I tell you about the match I promised I would tell about that little riot I had. There were these 2 girls sitting next to me for all the 3 days and one of them was telling me how Igor is going to lose now and what an idiot Marat is to have started his knee treatment before DC when he could have easily done it after. Ermm I am not going to tell you my little speech I made but I guess you all have a pretty good idea ROTFL...
So it began...1:0, 2:0, 3:0, 4:0 that boy was unstoppable. He was on such a high that I think if you put a tank in front on him that day he would have moved it. I swear to God I never shouted so loudly in my entire life, I was up on my feet throughout the whole game and every time he came on the side of the court I was sitting behind, all you could hear was me weeping my lungs out (ermm the screaming story actually has a continuation but this will come later ). Half an hour later 6:0 and the crowd is even wilder than it was before...
Everything went right for Igor, everything!!! No matter what he did, it worked. Paul-Henry was in shatters, he was shocked, pissed off and totally disoriented. He managed to take his serve for the first time when it was 3:1 Igor leading in the second set And another hour later 6:0, 6:2, 6:1. The match point was a beauty...Igor hit an ace right into the line, fell flat on the ground and could not believe what he had done. Misha, Kolya and other boys all ran out on the court and started hugging, jumping and throwing each other in the air LOL....I just sat there motionless...I just felt like a ton fell off my shoulders and for a few seconds I couldn't move, I was feeling so tired LOL....then I got up on my chair with my feet and jumped and screamed and shouted like mad.... It was one of the brightest moments of my life. They have proved to themselves that they are worth something even without their number 1, they were so happy, and so were the fans.
I stayed behind after everyone had gone with a few other fans and it was great. I got autographs of Misha and Kolya and Igor. Kolya was in a real rush though and left straight after, Misha stayed roaming around for a while and I chatted to him a little, then we all waited for Igor to come out and when he did, I went to get my autograph and tell my congrats, I went up to him and told him "Well done!!! This really was something. You are our hero and we are really proud of you". He looked at me and said "God, I recognise your voice, you were cheering behind me throughout the whole game. You were incredible and a great help. Thank you". It is moments like these tennis fans should live for
Throughout the whole weekend I thought about Marat, how great it would have been if he was there even as just a spectator and support, but the thing is I know he WAS there, in his spirit he was always there....
I was going home with a massive grin on my face, with my autographs, photos and memories stuck in my bag and my head and I thought of Marat's comments after Misha's win in Bercy 3 years ago and I must say I totally agree....it was indeed better than sex LMAO
This is Annie' fan report.
Day 1
First of all my apologies to everyone who is waiting for photos but I have been a real idiot and left my camera yesterday at the office so there will be no photos from Day 1, but there will be many from days 2 and 3 I promise!!!!!!! My seats are fantastic so I am sure I will have good photo material for you Now about today.1. I am totally hoarse, I can hardly talk, I almost lost my voice so now I am whispering mainly ROTFL2. Andreev - Gasquet.Oh boy, I am now officially announcing that I am in love with that Russian boy LOL Everyone knew he would lose but noose expected it to be so beautiful. He fought like a man, some shots were like wow!!!! He is a real character, it got very tense in the third set and there was a slight light of hope there for us but Gasquet is Gasquet and Igor got a bit too nervous on a tie-break in the third set but anyway.....IGOR YOU'RE MY HERO AND WELL DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
2. Kolya - Matheu. HOLY MOTHER OF GOD!!!!!!! This is exactly when I lost my voice.....First set was equal but Kolya took advantage of some mistakes Paul-Henri made and he won it 7:5. Then in the second it was all way too obvious. Kolya picked up and Matheu looked lost, way too many mistakes from the French and as a result Kolya takes it 6:2 and that's when the fun started...NOT!!!!!!!!! Kolya leads 3:0 in the third set, then 4:0, then it's 5:2 and Kolya is serving....he has 3 MATCH BALLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Half an hour later it's 5:5 and everyone is like WTF????????????? Then he takes a medical break and I say "Oh nuts...that's it..." but my boy isn't that easy to beat 7:5 in the third set to Kolya and it's 1:1 in all!!!!!!!!!!!!THANK YOU KOLYA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YOU'RE GREAT AND WE ALL LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!So tomorrow it's my teddy bear Misha Youzhny and my new love Igor Andreev against Llodra and Clement. GOOD LUCK BOYS!!!!!!!!!!! I'LL BE WITH YOU!!!!!!!!!! I got to chat a little with Misha after Kolya's match and got his autograph too , he is such a darling!!!!!I am very lucky coz I sit right next to the extrance of players, so I see everyone really close!!!!Some funny observations today:Misha has something up his patata all the time ROTFL, the guy cannot sit still for a second, I am telling you!!! He's always turning, looking at someone, talking to someone, jumping up and down..hilarious!!!Gasquet has his hand in his mouth 24/7!!!! That guy is constantly biting his nails!!!! LOLPhew...I am so excited I have no idea how I am going to sleep tonight!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!More reports on Monday and GO RUSSIA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!KISSES EVERYONE!!!!!!!!!!!
From Heaven to Hell and Back in 72 hours
Well, my dearest friends, sit down, fasten your seatbelts and we're off to re-live last weekend at the Olympic Stadium in Moscow. This is part 2 of my DC report and I apologise from the start if it may come too long, but God knows how many feelings and emotions I have piled up inside of me I also apologise for the quality of photos I am going to post a bit later, but the lighting in that place is awful for taking photos and my camera is not a professional or a big one, so some are not too good. I am going to scatter them around the message board. Group photos I will post them here, photos of separate players alone I shall post in their respective threads in Dinara and Other Players. Enjoy!!!!
Saturday, July 16. Hell breaks lose
Woke up in the morning in a brilliant mood, sun was shining, birds were singing, I got up, had my breakfast, got dressed, got my camera (!!! yay!!!!) and off I went. The score was 1:1 and I had all the reasons in the world to be optimistic.
So I got to the Stadium, went to my seat, the madness started. Teams came out and the crowd went wild. Tension was very high, you could see Igor being on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Poor thing, I mean he played his first match ever for Russia on Friday and lost, so I think he was really determined not to let the team down again. My Teddy Bear Misha was his usual self. Confident, serious and always having conversations...with himself LOL or with Igor. I must say that this is not the first time I watched Misha play doubles live and I must absolutely certainly say that in doubles he is really something. The way he winds himself and his partner up is incredible, if his partner makes a mistake, he is always cheering him up, always talking to his partner....marvellous...a real character.
At a certain point the game got a bit ugly, it is inevitable in doubles I guess, but you should have seen the atmosphere...Llodra made a few shots and they all went straight into Misha's body (once a bit below the waist actually and I was getting VERY worried there ), poor thing apologised about 600 times but Misha won't be Misha if it didn't drive him insane. For about half an hour after that Teddy Bear performed miracles....smashes one after another, into feet of Frenchmen, their bodies, everywhere...the guy was on a roll!!!!!!! Too bad it ended quickly and he calmed down, because at one point I thought he was going to kill them lol....WELL you all know the result of that one...it was soooooo sad. Misha was shattered, Igor just tried too hard to do well and....mistakes...quite too many...BUT the public was grateful. Noone could have said they didn't do their best or they didn't play full strength...it's just that Llodra and Clement are much better doubles players and Russia for many years now haven't had a stable doubles pair, but the boys were great.....it was indeed a sad sad day.
Sunday, July 17. Back to Heaven we go or Who Is Gasquet Again?
I went to bed at 1am on the night from Saturday to Sunday. I woke up at 5am and that was it, didn't sleep for a split second. I was feeling so sick with anxiety I didn't know what to do with myself. I got up, made tea and couldn't drink it. Tried to have breakfast and couldn't, tried to watch TV, but ermm don't remember what was showing. I was feeling so sick, I wanted to go to the loo and throw up (I'll be honest with you I tried LOL..didn't work..ewww) Hubby had to work on Sunday so he left early and I started to get ready. I was ironing the DC t-shirt I had bought the day before and I actually realised that I am reminding myself of a warrior getting ready for a battle Seriously, I have no idea what on earth was going through Kolya's and Igor's minds that day because me being just a fan....well I don't wish my state upon my worst enemy...
I got to the stadium (don't ask me how, I don't remember) and the worst thing hapenned. I was in my seat and in front of me there were these 2 men, I think one of them was a tennis coach or something, and they started going on and on how they don't see Russia getting a single point today and how both matches would be lost. On any other day I would have kept my mouth shut but not yesterday. I excused myself and told them that I am actually wondering WTF were they doing there in the first place if they were so certain. With an attitude like that, this was not the place to be, and even if they think it is, I asked them to keep their little "I know it all" talk to themselves, because we, the fans are not really amused sitting their listening to their "optimistic" rambles. I think they so didn't expect it that they actually apologised ROTFL I wished it all stopped there and then but another riot between me and some fans took place later (LMAO I was on a roll!!!!) but I'll get to it later
So Kolya and Gasquet were up first. Half an hour into the match noone had any doubt of who the winner will be. Sickness went in an unidentifiable direction and I was my good old self screaming my gutts out It was a beautiful beautiful match. Kolya's strategic abilities are something out of this world. Gasquet??? The guy who beat Federer in Monte Carlo??? Not anymore...Gasquet is the guy Kolya Davydenko having a wrist injury smashed all over the CLAY court in Moscow Poor Richard looked so lost. He couldn't do anything and I mean anything...Kolya was saving balls, which were out of this world...it was incredible....I haven't seen anything so beautiful on a tennis court for a while now....amazing!!!!! So 4 sets later (6:2, 4:6, 6:2, 6:1 !!!!!!! ) it was 2:2 and the stadium was going wild......this is when I started to worry again....
I went outside for a ciggie and to call hubby to tell him the good news and as I was coming back I saw Igor in the hall going into the changing room. This was a sight I will never forget. Poor thing...he was green pale and looked sooooo nervous. I mean just think about it. You just turn 22, they tell you that this time you will HAVE to play for Russia and be a no 2 in the team after Kolya because Misha is still recovering from his leg injury and Marat is injured, and now your whole country is waiting for you to perform a miracle. Oh I felt sooooo sorry for him. A quarter of an hour later he got out of the changing room and we bumped into each other again, I smiled and told him "Good luck Igor. You can do it!", he turned, looked at me, smiled and said "Thank you.I'll do my best" That was a moment when I knew he would win. The amazing makeover that took place in the changing room (ermm a CHANGING room it was indeed) I don't know what it was...I don't know what the guys did to him but that look in his eyes was so devilish and naughty that I just knew he was more than ready for a battle.When Igor and Matheu got out on court, I cannot tell you what was going on in the Stadium, hell broke lose, the French fans with their drums, songs and cheers wearing the same t-shirts, waving flags, etc. could not be heard for the first time in 3 days, Russians went wild, all you could hear was "Russia!" and "Igor" and that kept going till the match finished. Before I tell you about the match I promised I would tell about that little riot I had. There were these 2 girls sitting next to me for all the 3 days and one of them was telling me how Igor is going to lose now and what an idiot Marat is to have started his knee treatment before DC when he could have easily done it after. Ermm I am not going to tell you my little speech I made but I guess you all have a pretty good idea ROTFL...
So it began...1:0, 2:0, 3:0, 4:0 that boy was unstoppable. He was on such a high that I think if you put a tank in front on him that day he would have moved it. I swear to God I never shouted so loudly in my entire life, I was up on my feet throughout the whole game and every time he came on the side of the court I was sitting behind, all you could hear was me weeping my lungs out (ermm the screaming story actually has a continuation but this will come later ). Half an hour later 6:0 and the crowd is even wilder than it was before...
Everything went right for Igor, everything!!! No matter what he did, it worked. Paul-Henry was in shatters, he was shocked, pissed off and totally disoriented. He managed to take his serve for the first time when it was 3:1 Igor leading in the second set And another hour later 6:0, 6:2, 6:1. The match point was a beauty...Igor hit an ace right into the line, fell flat on the ground and could not believe what he had done. Misha, Kolya and other boys all ran out on the court and started hugging, jumping and throwing each other in the air LOL....I just sat there motionless...I just felt like a ton fell off my shoulders and for a few seconds I couldn't move, I was feeling so tired LOL....then I got up on my chair with my feet and jumped and screamed and shouted like mad.... It was one of the brightest moments of my life. They have proved to themselves that they are worth something even without their number 1, they were so happy, and so were the fans.
I stayed behind after everyone had gone with a few other fans and it was great. I got autographs of Misha and Kolya and Igor. Kolya was in a real rush though and left straight after, Misha stayed roaming around for a while and I chatted to him a little, then we all waited for Igor to come out and when he did, I went to get my autograph and tell my congrats, I went up to him and told him "Well done!!! This really was something. You are our hero and we are really proud of you". He looked at me and said "God, I recognise your voice, you were cheering behind me throughout the whole game. You were incredible and a great help. Thank you". It is moments like these tennis fans should live for
Throughout the whole weekend I thought about Marat, how great it would have been if he was there even as just a spectator and support, but the thing is I know he WAS there, in his spirit he was always there....
I was going home with a massive grin on my face, with my autographs, photos and memories stuck in my bag and my head and I thought of Marat's comments after Misha's win in Bercy 3 years ago and I must say I totally agree....it was indeed better than sex LMAO
This is Annie' fan report.
Sunday, July 17, 2005
RUSSIA d FRANCE 3-2
RUSSIA d FRANCE 3-2
Down 1-2, Russia stunned France with a comeback in which Igor Andreev claimed victory with a 6-0, 6-2, 6-1 win over France’s Paul-Henri Mathieu in the fifth rubber .
The Russian comeback began Sunday when Nikolay Davydenko overcame France’s rising teen star Richard Gasquet 6-2, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1. Russia’s Davydenko avenged an earlier loss this year to Gasquet when the two battled in Monte Carlo. With the win, Davydenko brought the rubber to a 2-2 tie.
Andreev, who lost to Gasquet in the first rubber and also lost in doubles action with partner Mikhail Youzhny, sealed Russia’s fate when he earned his team a spot in the semifinals for the first time since 2002. Russia’s win marked the second time in four years that it won both final day’s singles against France.
Russia, who will be looking to win its first Davis Cup title since 2002, will next face Croatia.
http://www.atptennis.com/en/newsandscores/news/2005/daviscup_qf2.asp
Down 1-2, Russia stunned France with a comeback in which Igor Andreev claimed victory with a 6-0, 6-2, 6-1 win over France’s Paul-Henri Mathieu in the fifth rubber .
The Russian comeback began Sunday when Nikolay Davydenko overcame France’s rising teen star Richard Gasquet 6-2, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1. Russia’s Davydenko avenged an earlier loss this year to Gasquet when the two battled in Monte Carlo. With the win, Davydenko brought the rubber to a 2-2 tie.
Andreev, who lost to Gasquet in the first rubber and also lost in doubles action with partner Mikhail Youzhny, sealed Russia’s fate when he earned his team a spot in the semifinals for the first time since 2002. Russia’s win marked the second time in four years that it won both final day’s singles against France.
Russia, who will be looking to win its first Davis Cup title since 2002, will next face Croatia.
http://www.atptennis.com/en/newsandscores/news/2005/daviscup_qf2.asp
Russia stun France 3-2 in Davis Cup
Russia stun France 3-2 in Davis Cup
(adds quotes, detail)
By Gennady Fyodorov
MOSCOW, July 17 (Reuters) - Understrength Russia staged an inspired comeback to win both reverse singles and edge France 3-2 in their Davis Cup quarter-final on Sunday.
World number seven Nikolay Davydenko overwhelmed French teenager Richard Gasquet 6-2 4-6 6-2 6-1 to square the tie at 2-2 before Igor Andreev crushed Paul-Henri Mathieu 6-0 6-2 6-1 in the deciding fifth rubber.
France were leading 2-1 after winning Saturday's doubles but nothing could stop Davydenko and Andreev on Sunday.
Russia also beat France in a similar fashion in their last encounter, the 2002 final in Paris, when Mikhail Youzhny came from two sets down to beat Mathieu in the decider to clinch their first Davis Cup title.
The Russians, who were missing Australian Open champion Marat Safin to a knee injury, now take on Croatia in the last four in September.
Davydenko, who had been nursing a painful wrist injury in the last few weeks, dominated from the start, breaking a nervous-looking Gasquet twice in the opening set.
The Russian also led 4-2 in the second before the 19-year-old Frenchman found his range, winning four consecutive games to even the score.
Two wild forehands from Gasquet in the third game of the third set handed Davydenko a vital break and the Russian never looked back, sealing victory after two hours and 24 minutes.
"I was very tired from playing on Friday and after the second set I simply ran out of gas," said Gasquet, who beat Andreev in straight sets on his Davis Cup debut in Friday's opener.
PERFECT MATCH
"Davydenko also played a perfect match," added the world number 17, who made 69 unforced errors and committed eight double faults on Sunday.
Andreev, bitterly upset with his performance on Friday, turned his game around against Mathieu.
The Muscovite, urged on by a highly-charged home crowd including former Russian President Boris Yeltsin, came out firing, reeling off eight straight games before Mathieu finally registered on the scoreboard by breaking back in the third game of the second set.
It was only a short reprieve, however, as Andreev continued his barrage from the baseline, sending his opponent to the showers in less than two hours.
"I don't know if this was the best match I've ever played but definitely it was the most important so far in my career," said the Russian, who turned 22 on Thursday.
Russia captain Shamil Tarpishchev was full of praise for Andreev.
"I just want you to know, Mathieu is a good clay court player and he didn't play a bad match, Andreev was just too good today," Tarpishchev told reporters.
"I didn't hesitate a minute to play him in the last match because I knew that Youzhny is not in good physical shape and would not last more than four sets."
France captain Guy Forget was left to rue missed chances.
Asked if he had any regrets at playing Mathieu in the decider, Forget said: "I wish I had (French number one Sebastien) Grosjean in my team."
"Actually I thought about playing (Arnaud) Clement or (Michael) Llodra but Clement is only ranked 100 in singles and Llodra also is more of a doubles player, so there was little I could do to change things," he added. "But we have nothing to be ashamed of. We tried our best and hopefully next time it'll be our turn to come on top."
Updated on Sunday, Jul 17, 2005 1:28 pm EDT
http://sports.yahoo.com/ten/news?slug=reu-davisrussia&prov=reuters&type=lgns
(adds quotes, detail)
By Gennady Fyodorov
MOSCOW, July 17 (Reuters) - Understrength Russia staged an inspired comeback to win both reverse singles and edge France 3-2 in their Davis Cup quarter-final on Sunday.
World number seven Nikolay Davydenko overwhelmed French teenager Richard Gasquet 6-2 4-6 6-2 6-1 to square the tie at 2-2 before Igor Andreev crushed Paul-Henri Mathieu 6-0 6-2 6-1 in the deciding fifth rubber.
France were leading 2-1 after winning Saturday's doubles but nothing could stop Davydenko and Andreev on Sunday.
Russia also beat France in a similar fashion in their last encounter, the 2002 final in Paris, when Mikhail Youzhny came from two sets down to beat Mathieu in the decider to clinch their first Davis Cup title.
The Russians, who were missing Australian Open champion Marat Safin to a knee injury, now take on Croatia in the last four in September.
Davydenko, who had been nursing a painful wrist injury in the last few weeks, dominated from the start, breaking a nervous-looking Gasquet twice in the opening set.
The Russian also led 4-2 in the second before the 19-year-old Frenchman found his range, winning four consecutive games to even the score.
Two wild forehands from Gasquet in the third game of the third set handed Davydenko a vital break and the Russian never looked back, sealing victory after two hours and 24 minutes.
"I was very tired from playing on Friday and after the second set I simply ran out of gas," said Gasquet, who beat Andreev in straight sets on his Davis Cup debut in Friday's opener.
PERFECT MATCH
"Davydenko also played a perfect match," added the world number 17, who made 69 unforced errors and committed eight double faults on Sunday.
Andreev, bitterly upset with his performance on Friday, turned his game around against Mathieu.
The Muscovite, urged on by a highly-charged home crowd including former Russian President Boris Yeltsin, came out firing, reeling off eight straight games before Mathieu finally registered on the scoreboard by breaking back in the third game of the second set.
It was only a short reprieve, however, as Andreev continued his barrage from the baseline, sending his opponent to the showers in less than two hours.
"I don't know if this was the best match I've ever played but definitely it was the most important so far in my career," said the Russian, who turned 22 on Thursday.
Russia captain Shamil Tarpishchev was full of praise for Andreev.
"I just want you to know, Mathieu is a good clay court player and he didn't play a bad match, Andreev was just too good today," Tarpishchev told reporters.
"I didn't hesitate a minute to play him in the last match because I knew that Youzhny is not in good physical shape and would not last more than four sets."
France captain Guy Forget was left to rue missed chances.
Asked if he had any regrets at playing Mathieu in the decider, Forget said: "I wish I had (French number one Sebastien) Grosjean in my team."
"Actually I thought about playing (Arnaud) Clement or (Michael) Llodra but Clement is only ranked 100 in singles and Llodra also is more of a doubles player, so there was little I could do to change things," he added. "But we have nothing to be ashamed of. We tried our best and hopefully next time it'll be our turn to come on top."
Updated on Sunday, Jul 17, 2005 1:28 pm EDT
http://sports.yahoo.com/ten/news?slug=reu-davisrussia&prov=reuters&type=lgns
Davydenko takes it to the wire in Moscow
Davydenko takes it to the wire in Moscow
The last time France and Russia played each other in the Davis Cup by BNP Paribas it went to a live fifth rubber, and the same is happening again, following Nikolay Davydenko's 62 46 62 61 win over Richard Gasquet.Davydenko's second victory of the weekend levels the score in this evenly-matched tie, but the fifth rubber won't be a repeat of the 2002 final in Paris, when Mikhail Youzhny beat Paul-Henri Mathieu in five sets. Mathieu is on court, but Youzhny has been left on the sidelines, Russia's captain Shamil Tarpischev opting for Igor Andreev to decide his country's fate.Davydenko was on fire from the start against Gasquet. He had break points in the opening game of the match, and while Gasquet saved both those, the Russian broke in the third, and then recovered from 0-40 to hold for 3-1.With Davydenko leading 6-2 2-0, Gasquet looked a forlorn figure. He seemed immobile in the first set, which looked like nerves but he later said was tiredness from the nervous tension of his win over Andreev on Friday. His big forehand was missing too often, he had no depth on his sliced backhands, and the accuracy of Davydenko's serving was making it a very one-sided affair.But having held serve for 1-2, Gasquet fought himself back into the match. He began to show more patience, and wait for the moment to inject pace. At 3-4 he got his reward. Having held serve at 2-4, he won 12 of the next 14 points to level the match, and at that stage a French victory seemed the more likely outcome.But when Davydenko broke in the third game of the third set, Gasquet suddenly felt his legs and the Russian crowd - by far the biggest of the twin-tie weekend involving Fed Cup and Davis Cup - found its voice again. A further break saw Davydenko race through the third set, and break in the first game of the fourth.When Gasquet had break points to get back to 2-2, a repeat of the second set looked possible, but whereas Gasquet had found patience in the second, he lacked it in the fourth, and too many wild shots missed their target. He was broken three times in the fourth set, the match ending with Gasquet putting a backhand tamely into the net."I think I proved today that I really am a top ten player, whether for myself in a tournament or in a team," said Davydenko, who first shook hands with the former Russian president and avid tennis fan Boris Yeltsin, and then spent about 10 minutes signing scores of autographs among eager fans straining over the front row of seating to get a taste of the man who, in the absence of Marat Safin, has done justice to the tag of Russia's No 1.
http://www.daviscup.com/news/newsarticle.asp?id=13319
The last time France and Russia played each other in the Davis Cup by BNP Paribas it went to a live fifth rubber, and the same is happening again, following Nikolay Davydenko's 62 46 62 61 win over Richard Gasquet.Davydenko's second victory of the weekend levels the score in this evenly-matched tie, but the fifth rubber won't be a repeat of the 2002 final in Paris, when Mikhail Youzhny beat Paul-Henri Mathieu in five sets. Mathieu is on court, but Youzhny has been left on the sidelines, Russia's captain Shamil Tarpischev opting for Igor Andreev to decide his country's fate.Davydenko was on fire from the start against Gasquet. He had break points in the opening game of the match, and while Gasquet saved both those, the Russian broke in the third, and then recovered from 0-40 to hold for 3-1.With Davydenko leading 6-2 2-0, Gasquet looked a forlorn figure. He seemed immobile in the first set, which looked like nerves but he later said was tiredness from the nervous tension of his win over Andreev on Friday. His big forehand was missing too often, he had no depth on his sliced backhands, and the accuracy of Davydenko's serving was making it a very one-sided affair.But having held serve for 1-2, Gasquet fought himself back into the match. He began to show more patience, and wait for the moment to inject pace. At 3-4 he got his reward. Having held serve at 2-4, he won 12 of the next 14 points to level the match, and at that stage a French victory seemed the more likely outcome.But when Davydenko broke in the third game of the third set, Gasquet suddenly felt his legs and the Russian crowd - by far the biggest of the twin-tie weekend involving Fed Cup and Davis Cup - found its voice again. A further break saw Davydenko race through the third set, and break in the first game of the fourth.When Gasquet had break points to get back to 2-2, a repeat of the second set looked possible, but whereas Gasquet had found patience in the second, he lacked it in the fourth, and too many wild shots missed their target. He was broken three times in the fourth set, the match ending with Gasquet putting a backhand tamely into the net."I think I proved today that I really am a top ten player, whether for myself in a tournament or in a team," said Davydenko, who first shook hands with the former Russian president and avid tennis fan Boris Yeltsin, and then spent about 10 minutes signing scores of autographs among eager fans straining over the front row of seating to get a taste of the man who, in the absence of Marat Safin, has done justice to the tag of Russia's No 1.
http://www.daviscup.com/news/newsarticle.asp?id=13319
Russian final day jinx strikes again against France
Russian final day jinx strikes again against France
Russia completed a stunning comeback against France on Sunday to reach the Davis Cup by BNP Paribas semifinals after Igor Andreev defeated Paul-Henri Mathieu 60 62 61 in the decisive fifth rubber.Very seldom does a team come back from 1-2 down to win both final day's singles, but Russia did it for the second time in four years against France, repeating their success from the 2002 Davis Cup final with two emphatic final day wins.First Nikolay Davydenko beat Richard Gasquet 62 46 62 61 to level the tie, and then in a remarkably one-sided fifth rubber, Andreev trounced the luckless Mathieu to send Russia into an away semifinal against Croatia.That score takes some explaining! For the first eight games the decision by Russia's captain Shamil Tarpischev to play Andreev instead of Mikhail Youzhny was unquestionably correct, as all eight went to Andreev. He was as much on fire as Davydenko was in the first of the day's matches, going for the lines and hitting them with intense regularity, hardly recognisable from the figure who played so tentatively against Richard Gasquet on Friday.But the fact that the first set took 37 minutes for 60 showed that Mathieu wasn't as far out of it as the score suggested. He was serving poorly, and was being punished for playing a good three metres behind his baseline. But the difference between the two players was sufficiently slight that once Andreev's level dropped, Mathieu would have his chance. "That's what I kept telling him," said France's captain Guy Forget, "we knew Andreev couldn't keep that level up for ever."Mathieu broke at 0-2 in the second set to register his first game, but was then unable to hold serve. By the time he did, he was a set and 4-1 down, but by then Andreev was at least making a few mistakes. The match seemed ready to be competitive, but several turning points passed without the match turning. Andreev led 2-0 in the third set, and Mathieu again broke having been 40-15 down. But again he failed to hold serve, as Andreev kept up a solid level of play and Mathieu seemed remarkably unimaginative and horrendously error-prone. There were plenty of chances for the Frenchman, but he didn't win another game, and Andreev finished the job with an ace as the clock showed two hours.Earlier Davydenko had signalled his intention from the first point. He led Gasquet 62 42, with the 19-year-old Frenchman seeming immobile - it looked like nerves but he later said it was tiredness from the nervous tension of his win over Andreev on Friday. His big forehand was missing too often, he had no depth on his sliced backhands, and the accuracy of Davydenko's serving was making it a very one-sided affair.But Gasquet then won four games on the run to level the match, and at that point he looked the likelier winner. Remarkably he won just three more games, as Davydenko, in the absence of Marat Safin, did justice to the tag of Russia's No. 1 by winning both his singles."I think I proved today that I really am a top ten player, whether for myself in a tournament or in a team," said Davydenko, who first shook hands with the former Russian President and avid tennis fan Boris Yeltsin, and then spent about ten minutes signing scores of autographs. Yeltsin later joined Russia's on-court celebrations, forming an eight-man conga made up of the four Russian players, two reserves, Tarpischev and the jubilant Yeltsin.Though the French were understandably disappointed to lose, their travelling supporters behaved impeccably, and chanted "Igor Igor" when Andreev left the court after his decisive victory.
Russia completed a stunning comeback against France on Sunday to reach the Davis Cup by BNP Paribas semifinals after Igor Andreev defeated Paul-Henri Mathieu 60 62 61 in the decisive fifth rubber.Very seldom does a team come back from 1-2 down to win both final day's singles, but Russia did it for the second time in four years against France, repeating their success from the 2002 Davis Cup final with two emphatic final day wins.First Nikolay Davydenko beat Richard Gasquet 62 46 62 61 to level the tie, and then in a remarkably one-sided fifth rubber, Andreev trounced the luckless Mathieu to send Russia into an away semifinal against Croatia.That score takes some explaining! For the first eight games the decision by Russia's captain Shamil Tarpischev to play Andreev instead of Mikhail Youzhny was unquestionably correct, as all eight went to Andreev. He was as much on fire as Davydenko was in the first of the day's matches, going for the lines and hitting them with intense regularity, hardly recognisable from the figure who played so tentatively against Richard Gasquet on Friday.But the fact that the first set took 37 minutes for 60 showed that Mathieu wasn't as far out of it as the score suggested. He was serving poorly, and was being punished for playing a good three metres behind his baseline. But the difference between the two players was sufficiently slight that once Andreev's level dropped, Mathieu would have his chance. "That's what I kept telling him," said France's captain Guy Forget, "we knew Andreev couldn't keep that level up for ever."Mathieu broke at 0-2 in the second set to register his first game, but was then unable to hold serve. By the time he did, he was a set and 4-1 down, but by then Andreev was at least making a few mistakes. The match seemed ready to be competitive, but several turning points passed without the match turning. Andreev led 2-0 in the third set, and Mathieu again broke having been 40-15 down. But again he failed to hold serve, as Andreev kept up a solid level of play and Mathieu seemed remarkably unimaginative and horrendously error-prone. There were plenty of chances for the Frenchman, but he didn't win another game, and Andreev finished the job with an ace as the clock showed two hours.Earlier Davydenko had signalled his intention from the first point. He led Gasquet 62 42, with the 19-year-old Frenchman seeming immobile - it looked like nerves but he later said it was tiredness from the nervous tension of his win over Andreev on Friday. His big forehand was missing too often, he had no depth on his sliced backhands, and the accuracy of Davydenko's serving was making it a very one-sided affair.But Gasquet then won four games on the run to level the match, and at that point he looked the likelier winner. Remarkably he won just three more games, as Davydenko, in the absence of Marat Safin, did justice to the tag of Russia's No. 1 by winning both his singles."I think I proved today that I really am a top ten player, whether for myself in a tournament or in a team," said Davydenko, who first shook hands with the former Russian President and avid tennis fan Boris Yeltsin, and then spent about ten minutes signing scores of autographs. Yeltsin later joined Russia's on-court celebrations, forming an eight-man conga made up of the four Russian players, two reserves, Tarpischev and the jubilant Yeltsin.Though the French were understandably disappointed to lose, their travelling supporters behaved impeccably, and chanted "Igor Igor" when Andreev left the court after his decisive victory.
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