Davydenko poses Croatia threat
Croatia stand tantalisingly close to their first Davis Cup final this week, hosting a Russia team weakened by the absence of Marat Safin. Mario Ancic and Ivan Ljubicic will be favourites to steer Croatia into the but in Nikolay Davydenko and Mikhail Youzhny Russia still present a formidable hurdle.
World number seven Davydenko has never lost a Tour match to either Ancic or Ljubicic, while Youzhny became a national hero in 2002 when he clawed back a two-set deficit against Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu to land Russia a first title.
Russia's Shamil Tarpischev also has the incentive of becoming the first captain to land the Fed Cup and Davis Cup in the same year following the women's triumph over France last week.
Local boy Ancic, however, says form and statistics will count for nothing when the tie gets under way on Friday.
"I am very well prepared, I'm in good physical shape," Ancic told reporters in the Gripe Sports Hall, just a short stroll from the family home. "There will be a great atmosphere, it will be a great feeling and we don't want to waste it."
Ljubicic, the team's most experienced player, added: "All the singles will be very close. Davydenko is a dangerous player but the surface is not his best, it will suit Youzhny more. Whatever, the tie won't be decided before Sunday."
The 21-year-old Ancic, who was nurtured as a junior by Croatian sporting icon and fellow Split resident, former Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic, is under pressure after defeats by Andy Roddick and Andrei Pavel in the Davis Cup victories over the U.S. and Romania this year.
"I lost the opening singles here against Romania in five sets, but I will try to use that experience to my benefit," said Ancic, who partnered Ljubicic to crucial doubles victories in both matches. "I just hope I get the win on Friday."
French Open semi-finalist Davydenko stirred things up when he said Croatia could benefit from home-based line judges.
"(Croatia's) main advantage will be the line officials," Davydenko told reporters, referring to a defeat by Ancic in a lower-tier tournament in Zagreb several years ago when he believed he "was robbed" by poor line calls.
BIG FACTORS
"The other big factors for them will be the home crowd and the fast surface."
Pilic is unlikely to call upon the giant serving Ivo Karlovic, unless either Ancic or Ljubicic suffer an injury or fatigue, although he playfully offered his thoughts on Russia's options.
"They are definitely weaker without Safin," he said, "and I don't expect Youzhny to play all three matches because he has trouble with his knee. I'm not sure he'll play the doubles."
Youzhny, who laughed off suggestions he had a bad knee, is a regular doubles player for Russia, usually with Safin. Tarpischev is likely to partner him with Igor Andreev on Saturday, although he knows if Russia are to win, they will probably have to capture three of the four singles rubbers.
"It will be hard without Safin but we will deal with what we have," he said. "Little things will prove decisive."
Friday, September 23, 2005
Davydenko poses Croatia threat
Davydenko poses Croatia threat
Croatia stand tantalisingly close to their first Davis Cup final this week, hosting a Russia team weakened by the absence of Marat Safin. Mario Ancic and Ivan Ljubicic will be favourites to steer Croatia into the but in Nikolay Davydenko and Mikhail Youzhny Russia still present a formidable hurdle.
World number seven Davydenko has never lost a Tour match to either Ancic or Ljubicic, while Youzhny became a national hero in 2002 when he clawed back a two-set deficit against Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu to land Russia a first title.
Russia's Shamil Tarpischev also has the incentive of becoming the first captain to land the Fed Cup and Davis Cup in the same year following the women's triumph over France last week.
Local boy Ancic, however, says form and statistics will count for nothing when the tie gets under way on Friday.
"I am very well prepared, I'm in good physical shape," Ancic told reporters in the Gripe Sports Hall, just a short stroll from the family home. "There will be a great atmosphere, it will be a great feeling and we don't want to waste it."
Ljubicic, the team's most experienced player, added: "All the singles will be very close. Davydenko is a dangerous player but the surface is not his best, it will suit Youzhny more. Whatever, the tie won't be decided before Sunday."
The 21-year-old Ancic, who was nurtured as a junior by Croatian sporting icon and fellow Split resident, former Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic, is under pressure after defeats by Andy Roddick and Andrei Pavel in the Davis Cup victories over the U.S. and Romania this year.
"I lost the opening singles here against Romania in five sets, but I will try to use that experience to my benefit," said Ancic, who partnered Ljubicic to crucial doubles victories in both matches. "I just hope I get the win on Friday."
French Open semi-finalist Davydenko stirred things up when he said Croatia could benefit from home-based line judges.
"(Croatia's) main advantage will be the line officials," Davydenko told reporters, referring to a defeat by Ancic in a lower-tier tournament in Zagreb several years ago when he believed he "was robbed" by poor line calls.
BIG FACTORS
"The other big factors for them will be the home crowd and the fast surface."
Pilic is unlikely to call upon the giant serving Ivo Karlovic, unless either Ancic or Ljubicic suffer an injury or fatigue, although he playfully offered his thoughts on Russia's options.
"They are definitely weaker without Safin," he said, "and I don't expect Youzhny to play all three matches because he has trouble with his knee. I'm not sure he'll play the doubles."
Youzhny, who laughed off suggestions he had a bad knee, is a regular doubles player for Russia, usually with Safin. Tarpischev is likely to partner him with Igor Andreev on Saturday, although he knows if Russia are to win, they will probably have to capture three of the four singles rubbers.
"It will be hard without Safin but we will deal with what we have," he said. "Little things will prove decisive."
Croatia stand tantalisingly close to their first Davis Cup final this week, hosting a Russia team weakened by the absence of Marat Safin. Mario Ancic and Ivan Ljubicic will be favourites to steer Croatia into the but in Nikolay Davydenko and Mikhail Youzhny Russia still present a formidable hurdle.
World number seven Davydenko has never lost a Tour match to either Ancic or Ljubicic, while Youzhny became a national hero in 2002 when he clawed back a two-set deficit against Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu to land Russia a first title.
Russia's Shamil Tarpischev also has the incentive of becoming the first captain to land the Fed Cup and Davis Cup in the same year following the women's triumph over France last week.
Local boy Ancic, however, says form and statistics will count for nothing when the tie gets under way on Friday.
"I am very well prepared, I'm in good physical shape," Ancic told reporters in the Gripe Sports Hall, just a short stroll from the family home. "There will be a great atmosphere, it will be a great feeling and we don't want to waste it."
Ljubicic, the team's most experienced player, added: "All the singles will be very close. Davydenko is a dangerous player but the surface is not his best, it will suit Youzhny more. Whatever, the tie won't be decided before Sunday."
The 21-year-old Ancic, who was nurtured as a junior by Croatian sporting icon and fellow Split resident, former Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic, is under pressure after defeats by Andy Roddick and Andrei Pavel in the Davis Cup victories over the U.S. and Romania this year.
"I lost the opening singles here against Romania in five sets, but I will try to use that experience to my benefit," said Ancic, who partnered Ljubicic to crucial doubles victories in both matches. "I just hope I get the win on Friday."
French Open semi-finalist Davydenko stirred things up when he said Croatia could benefit from home-based line judges.
"(Croatia's) main advantage will be the line officials," Davydenko told reporters, referring to a defeat by Ancic in a lower-tier tournament in Zagreb several years ago when he believed he "was robbed" by poor line calls.
BIG FACTORS
"The other big factors for them will be the home crowd and the fast surface."
Pilic is unlikely to call upon the giant serving Ivo Karlovic, unless either Ancic or Ljubicic suffer an injury or fatigue, although he playfully offered his thoughts on Russia's options.
"They are definitely weaker without Safin," he said, "and I don't expect Youzhny to play all three matches because he has trouble with his knee. I'm not sure he'll play the doubles."
Youzhny, who laughed off suggestions he had a bad knee, is a regular doubles player for Russia, usually with Safin. Tarpischev is likely to partner him with Igor Andreev on Saturday, although he knows if Russia are to win, they will probably have to capture three of the four singles rubbers.
"It will be hard without Safin but we will deal with what we have," he said. "Little things will prove decisive."
Davydenko gives Russia lead in semifinal
Davydenko gives Russia lead in semifinal
Nikolay Davydenko has given Russia the first point of the weekend in the Davis Cup by BNP Paribas semifinal tie between his nation and Croatia.
In front of a wildly enthusiastic crowd, Davydenko survived a mid-match problem before coming back to beat Mario Ancic and give Russia the early lead. After three hours and 30 minutes of sometimes superb tennis that was blended in with some ordinary points, Davydenko scored a 75 64 57 64 result over Ancic.
Ancic opened the first rubber and dropped the first two points before holding serve from break point down. That first game seemed to signal what Davydenko plan was. He was going to direct his returns into the body and jam Ancic. The Russian was holding serve more comfortably as the set progressed but in the tenth game Ancic had a chance at 0-30. He could not keep the pressure up and Davydenko held and struck in the next game breaking Ancic who netted a forehand volley.
The Russian then played a near perfect game to hold for the set with a fantastic forehand winner.
The vibrancy at the Sportski Centar Gripe (pron: Greepay) was stunning as flags were waved and fans applauded. The noise generated by the 4,500 fans was deafening as a combination of cheering, drums banging and plastic inflatable cheer sticks were whacked against one another, created an atmosphere that Davis Cup tennis can only generate.
Davydenko opened a 3-1 lead in the second set. Ancic forged back to level at 3-3 when Davydenko made a rare forehand error. He then broke Ancic in the next game to get the upper hand once more. The Russian’s forehand continued to find its mark as Ancic started to become frustrated. He was not being able to make any inroads.
Davydenko has enjoyed a tremendous year on the circuit and that form was more than evident in this first match.
He broke Ancic in the first game of the third set and just kept consolidating his advantage. With that break in hand Davydenko served for the match at 5-4.
Incredibly the crowd added to their noise levels and equally incredibly Ancic rallied and broke Davydenko to square the set. He then held serve and with the noise at fever pitch, Ancic all but brought the house down when he stunned Davydenko with yet another break to win the third set.
Davydenko said he was a bit tired and his concentration slipped when he failed to serve out the match in the third set. He said Ancic surprised him by staying back as well. But he said he felt very comfortable with his forehand. It didn’t let him down because he easily came up with winners that went either cross court or down the line.
“I was good with my control from the baseline and I returned very well,” said Davydenko. “It didn’t matter where he was serving to me, everything worked and I returned it everywhere. I had a feeling that I could do anything.”
For the fourth consecutive time Ancic opened the set and by holding serve he had won four consecutive games. However in the fifth game Davydenko broke serve. The Russian survived a break point in the next game even with the crowd going crazy for the local boy. Davydenko consolidated and served for the match again at 5-4. It seemed that Ancic was going to pull a rabbit out of a hat once more when he had 0-30 but Davydenko rallied for the last four points of the match.
“I played a really solid match but I came across an opponent today who just played better especially the first two sets,” said Ancic. “I had small chances and I felt good on them but he came out with some great shots. The only chance I really got was when he was serving for the match in the third and he got tight. After that I was playing really good to win the set. But obviously he played better.”
Davydenko was pouncing on Ancic’s volleys, taking them early and hitting them back so hard. In that aspect of the match the Croat admitted that he was taken by surprise but tactically he still thought he played a good match.
“I was going in a lot and trying to break his rhythm but he was just coming up with better and better shots.
The second rubber has Ivan Ljubicic playing Mikhail Youzhny.
http://www.daviscup.com/news/matchreport.asp?id=13401
Nikolay Davydenko has given Russia the first point of the weekend in the Davis Cup by BNP Paribas semifinal tie between his nation and Croatia.
In front of a wildly enthusiastic crowd, Davydenko survived a mid-match problem before coming back to beat Mario Ancic and give Russia the early lead. After three hours and 30 minutes of sometimes superb tennis that was blended in with some ordinary points, Davydenko scored a 75 64 57 64 result over Ancic.
Ancic opened the first rubber and dropped the first two points before holding serve from break point down. That first game seemed to signal what Davydenko plan was. He was going to direct his returns into the body and jam Ancic. The Russian was holding serve more comfortably as the set progressed but in the tenth game Ancic had a chance at 0-30. He could not keep the pressure up and Davydenko held and struck in the next game breaking Ancic who netted a forehand volley.
The Russian then played a near perfect game to hold for the set with a fantastic forehand winner.
The vibrancy at the Sportski Centar Gripe (pron: Greepay) was stunning as flags were waved and fans applauded. The noise generated by the 4,500 fans was deafening as a combination of cheering, drums banging and plastic inflatable cheer sticks were whacked against one another, created an atmosphere that Davis Cup tennis can only generate.
Davydenko opened a 3-1 lead in the second set. Ancic forged back to level at 3-3 when Davydenko made a rare forehand error. He then broke Ancic in the next game to get the upper hand once more. The Russian’s forehand continued to find its mark as Ancic started to become frustrated. He was not being able to make any inroads.
Davydenko has enjoyed a tremendous year on the circuit and that form was more than evident in this first match.
He broke Ancic in the first game of the third set and just kept consolidating his advantage. With that break in hand Davydenko served for the match at 5-4.
Incredibly the crowd added to their noise levels and equally incredibly Ancic rallied and broke Davydenko to square the set. He then held serve and with the noise at fever pitch, Ancic all but brought the house down when he stunned Davydenko with yet another break to win the third set.
Davydenko said he was a bit tired and his concentration slipped when he failed to serve out the match in the third set. He said Ancic surprised him by staying back as well. But he said he felt very comfortable with his forehand. It didn’t let him down because he easily came up with winners that went either cross court or down the line.
“I was good with my control from the baseline and I returned very well,” said Davydenko. “It didn’t matter where he was serving to me, everything worked and I returned it everywhere. I had a feeling that I could do anything.”
For the fourth consecutive time Ancic opened the set and by holding serve he had won four consecutive games. However in the fifth game Davydenko broke serve. The Russian survived a break point in the next game even with the crowd going crazy for the local boy. Davydenko consolidated and served for the match again at 5-4. It seemed that Ancic was going to pull a rabbit out of a hat once more when he had 0-30 but Davydenko rallied for the last four points of the match.
“I played a really solid match but I came across an opponent today who just played better especially the first two sets,” said Ancic. “I had small chances and I felt good on them but he came out with some great shots. The only chance I really got was when he was serving for the match in the third and he got tight. After that I was playing really good to win the set. But obviously he played better.”
Davydenko was pouncing on Ancic’s volleys, taking them early and hitting them back so hard. In that aspect of the match the Croat admitted that he was taken by surprise but tactically he still thought he played a good match.
“I was going in a lot and trying to break his rhythm but he was just coming up with better and better shots.
The second rubber has Ivan Ljubicic playing Mikhail Youzhny.
http://www.daviscup.com/news/matchreport.asp?id=13401
Thursday, September 22, 2005
Ancic to face Davydenko first in Split
Ancic to face Davydenko first in Split
The draw for the Croatia v Russia Davis Cup by BNP Paribas World Group Semifinal tie has been made and is as follows:
Mario Ancic (CRO) v Nikolay Davydenko (RUS)
Ivan Ljubicic (CRO) v Mikhail Youzhny (RUS)
Mario Ancic/Ivan Ljubicic (CRO) v Mikhail Youzhny/Dmitry Tursunov (RUS)
Ivan Ljubicic (CRO) v Nikolay Davydenko (RUS)
Mario Ancic (CRO) v Mikhail Youzhny (RUS)
The stunningly beautiful and historic city of Split, which has the Mosor Kozjak Mountains as a backdrop with the city spilling towards the pristine aqua coloured waters of the Adriatic Sea, is Croatia’s second largest city. It is a city that is celebrating its 1700th anniversary this year and is regarded as the premier sports centre in Croatia.
It’s no wonder when one considers the fact that they have a good football team, a good basketball team and it is the birthplace of four of the nation’s finest tennis players - Zeljko Franulovic, Niki Pilic, Mario Ancic and the country’s best ever player, 2001 Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic. In fact the four tennis players were born and raised within a couple of streets from one another and developed their tennis at the 50-year-old Tennis Club of Split.
For the second round in succession Split is hosting a Davis Cup by BNP Paribas tie. In July Croatia defeated Romania in the quarterfinals and this weekend Pilic will captain Ancic and Ivan Ljubicic against Russia at the Gripe Sports Centre, an indoor facility that will seat 4,500 fans. The tie will be played on a quick carpet surface that both teams are satisfied with.
The draw for the semifinal was done in the stadium’s VIP area and the first match of the weekend has Mario Ancic playing Nikolay Davydenko, followed by Ivan Ljubicic against Mikhail Youzhny. The doubles on Saturday will see Ancic and Ljubicic team up against Youzhny and Dimitry Tursunov. The reverse singles will have Ljubicic against Davydenko first with the semifinal being closed out by Ancic and Youzhny.
“I feel very good. The last tie against Romania I played first match as well and I know what to expect. I’m ready and I think I did my best preparation I could, and from my point of view I have done everything I could,” said Ancic.
“It’s hard playing three days running but this is Davis Cup. I have done a good preparation physically and I am going into this feeling confident. The Russian team is really strong and it will be a battle out there.
“The first match will be really important because both teams are going to try to play good from the first match. Nikolay has had a very good year - he is a top ten player. It is always a challenge to play especially in front of a home crowd, but I have been playing good the last couple of weeks and I will try to take this good from in to the match. It will be extremely hard but I hope to have great support from the crowd.”
The Croatian captain Niki Pilic explained that this was a very difficult tie for both teams. He believes that every match is “pretty open”. He hopes and expects his players to play with inspiration.
Davydenko says he is very happy to be playing the first match. He likes the fact that he knows his starting time will be 1pm and not have the uncertainty of when to be absolutely ready, which would be the case if it was the second match.
“It is five set match so you could be waiting one hour, three hours or five hours. I will play and finish and see the second match with Youzhny,” said Davydenko.
“We are not playing in Moscow, we are playing in Ancic’s home so he will be tough to beat. He plays good on fast court inside so for me it will be important to have concentration like you have in clay court.”
Youzhny said he didn’t think the court was too fast. Before arriving in Split he thought the Croats would have made the court very fast. He said against Belarus last year the court was much faster, in fact that court was like lightening.
“This is Davis Cup and it will be tough to play Croatia because whoever is home has the advantage, but we have chances to beat them, we have a great team,” said Youzhny. “We haven’t lost before the match starts.”
Going into the first day of action, Ancic and Davydenko have met once before on clay in St. Polten, Austria, last year and the Russian won, while Ljubicic won the only match he and Youzhny have played. That too was on clay, last year in Hamburg.
http://www.daviscup.com/news/newsarticle.asp?id=13363
The draw for the Croatia v Russia Davis Cup by BNP Paribas World Group Semifinal tie has been made and is as follows:
Mario Ancic (CRO) v Nikolay Davydenko (RUS)
Ivan Ljubicic (CRO) v Mikhail Youzhny (RUS)
Mario Ancic/Ivan Ljubicic (CRO) v Mikhail Youzhny/Dmitry Tursunov (RUS)
Ivan Ljubicic (CRO) v Nikolay Davydenko (RUS)
Mario Ancic (CRO) v Mikhail Youzhny (RUS)
The stunningly beautiful and historic city of Split, which has the Mosor Kozjak Mountains as a backdrop with the city spilling towards the pristine aqua coloured waters of the Adriatic Sea, is Croatia’s second largest city. It is a city that is celebrating its 1700th anniversary this year and is regarded as the premier sports centre in Croatia.
It’s no wonder when one considers the fact that they have a good football team, a good basketball team and it is the birthplace of four of the nation’s finest tennis players - Zeljko Franulovic, Niki Pilic, Mario Ancic and the country’s best ever player, 2001 Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic. In fact the four tennis players were born and raised within a couple of streets from one another and developed their tennis at the 50-year-old Tennis Club of Split.
For the second round in succession Split is hosting a Davis Cup by BNP Paribas tie. In July Croatia defeated Romania in the quarterfinals and this weekend Pilic will captain Ancic and Ivan Ljubicic against Russia at the Gripe Sports Centre, an indoor facility that will seat 4,500 fans. The tie will be played on a quick carpet surface that both teams are satisfied with.
The draw for the semifinal was done in the stadium’s VIP area and the first match of the weekend has Mario Ancic playing Nikolay Davydenko, followed by Ivan Ljubicic against Mikhail Youzhny. The doubles on Saturday will see Ancic and Ljubicic team up against Youzhny and Dimitry Tursunov. The reverse singles will have Ljubicic against Davydenko first with the semifinal being closed out by Ancic and Youzhny.
“I feel very good. The last tie against Romania I played first match as well and I know what to expect. I’m ready and I think I did my best preparation I could, and from my point of view I have done everything I could,” said Ancic.
“It’s hard playing three days running but this is Davis Cup. I have done a good preparation physically and I am going into this feeling confident. The Russian team is really strong and it will be a battle out there.
“The first match will be really important because both teams are going to try to play good from the first match. Nikolay has had a very good year - he is a top ten player. It is always a challenge to play especially in front of a home crowd, but I have been playing good the last couple of weeks and I will try to take this good from in to the match. It will be extremely hard but I hope to have great support from the crowd.”
The Croatian captain Niki Pilic explained that this was a very difficult tie for both teams. He believes that every match is “pretty open”. He hopes and expects his players to play with inspiration.
Davydenko says he is very happy to be playing the first match. He likes the fact that he knows his starting time will be 1pm and not have the uncertainty of when to be absolutely ready, which would be the case if it was the second match.
“It is five set match so you could be waiting one hour, three hours or five hours. I will play and finish and see the second match with Youzhny,” said Davydenko.
“We are not playing in Moscow, we are playing in Ancic’s home so he will be tough to beat. He plays good on fast court inside so for me it will be important to have concentration like you have in clay court.”
Youzhny said he didn’t think the court was too fast. Before arriving in Split he thought the Croats would have made the court very fast. He said against Belarus last year the court was much faster, in fact that court was like lightening.
“This is Davis Cup and it will be tough to play Croatia because whoever is home has the advantage, but we have chances to beat them, we have a great team,” said Youzhny. “We haven’t lost before the match starts.”
Going into the first day of action, Ancic and Davydenko have met once before on clay in St. Polten, Austria, last year and the Russian won, while Ljubicic won the only match he and Youzhny have played. That too was on clay, last year in Hamburg.
http://www.daviscup.com/news/newsarticle.asp?id=13363
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
The fast-rising Russian star becomes head-to-toe Prince: Official Statement
September 20, 2005
Nikolay Davydenko Signs To Prince
The fast-rising Russian star becomes head-to-toe Prince
"My success on the tour has improved significantly since I switched to O3."
Nikolay Davydenko, the Russian tennis star who won his first ATP title of the year within weeks of first playing with the revolutionary new O3 Tour racquet from Prince, has signed a long-term agreement with the brand.
After making his top 30 debut only last year, Davydenko has become one of the Tour's fastest-rising players. The 24-year-old first played with the O3 Tour at the Hamburg Masters Series in May, where he reached the semifinals. A week later, he won the St. Poelten event in Austria, then went on to make his semifinal debut at the French Open!
Davydenko continued his powerful advance in world tennis in July when he won both his singles rubbers to lead Russia to a sensational 3/2 victory over France in the Davis Cup world group quarter-finals. The following month, he celebrated a career-high ATP ranking of six.
In addition to his racquet deal with Prince, Davydenko will also wear the brand's apparel and footwear.
"Davydenko is one of the most exciting young talents in world tennis and we are delighted that he has chosen to join the Prince team," said Alistair Thorburn, Prince Sports International President.
"The interest in our new O3 technology has been so high that Nikolay wanted to try the O3 Tour in May. Since then, he and the racquet have become inseparable – and the results thereafter speak for themselves," added Thorburn.
Davydenko echoed his delight at joining Prince: "I am very excited to be part of the Prince team. As soon as I tried O3, I knew it was something special for me. The larger sweetspot gives me more power, more feel, and increased accuracy with my shots – and the racquet is so much faster through the air.
"My success on the tour has improved significantly since I switched to O3."
Davydenko becomes the second top ten player to adopt the Prince O3 Tour, joining O3 trailblazer Guillermo Coria, a winner of the International Series event in Umag; a finalist this year in the ATP Masters Series events in Monte Carlo and Rome, and this month’s International Series event in Beijing; and a quarter-finalist in the 2005 US Open.
Prince is the established industry leader in the development and manufacturing of performance racquet sports equipment that is proven at the highest level of competition and used by both professional athletes and aspiring recreational players. Prince Sports, Inc., the parent company, is based in New Jersey, USA, and the International HQ, Prince Sports Europe Ltd, is located in London. Prince Sports, which holds more patents than any other racquet company, revolutionised the game of tennis with its introductions of the "Oversize", "Longbody"®, "Triple Threat"® and "More"® racquets; it reshaped squash with its innovative "Extender"®; "Triple Threat"® and "More"® racquets; and redefined badminton with both "Y-Joint" and "More"® technologies. In 2005, the brand introduces O3, a breakthrough in tennis engineering and technology that increases the sweet spot by up to 54%, enabling players to hit their best shots, more often. Today, Prince Sports has operations on three continents and distribution in over 100 countries.
http://www.princetennis.com/news_events/press/press_release.asp?DocumentID=511
Nikolay Davydenko Signs To Prince
The fast-rising Russian star becomes head-to-toe Prince
"My success on the tour has improved significantly since I switched to O3."
Nikolay Davydenko, the Russian tennis star who won his first ATP title of the year within weeks of first playing with the revolutionary new O3 Tour racquet from Prince, has signed a long-term agreement with the brand.
After making his top 30 debut only last year, Davydenko has become one of the Tour's fastest-rising players. The 24-year-old first played with the O3 Tour at the Hamburg Masters Series in May, where he reached the semifinals. A week later, he won the St. Poelten event in Austria, then went on to make his semifinal debut at the French Open!
Davydenko continued his powerful advance in world tennis in July when he won both his singles rubbers to lead Russia to a sensational 3/2 victory over France in the Davis Cup world group quarter-finals. The following month, he celebrated a career-high ATP ranking of six.
In addition to his racquet deal with Prince, Davydenko will also wear the brand's apparel and footwear.
"Davydenko is one of the most exciting young talents in world tennis and we are delighted that he has chosen to join the Prince team," said Alistair Thorburn, Prince Sports International President.
"The interest in our new O3 technology has been so high that Nikolay wanted to try the O3 Tour in May. Since then, he and the racquet have become inseparable – and the results thereafter speak for themselves," added Thorburn.
Davydenko echoed his delight at joining Prince: "I am very excited to be part of the Prince team. As soon as I tried O3, I knew it was something special for me. The larger sweetspot gives me more power, more feel, and increased accuracy with my shots – and the racquet is so much faster through the air.
"My success on the tour has improved significantly since I switched to O3."
Davydenko becomes the second top ten player to adopt the Prince O3 Tour, joining O3 trailblazer Guillermo Coria, a winner of the International Series event in Umag; a finalist this year in the ATP Masters Series events in Monte Carlo and Rome, and this month’s International Series event in Beijing; and a quarter-finalist in the 2005 US Open.
Prince is the established industry leader in the development and manufacturing of performance racquet sports equipment that is proven at the highest level of competition and used by both professional athletes and aspiring recreational players. Prince Sports, Inc., the parent company, is based in New Jersey, USA, and the International HQ, Prince Sports Europe Ltd, is located in London. Prince Sports, which holds more patents than any other racquet company, revolutionised the game of tennis with its introductions of the "Oversize", "Longbody"®, "Triple Threat"® and "More"® racquets; it reshaped squash with its innovative "Extender"®; "Triple Threat"® and "More"® racquets; and redefined badminton with both "Y-Joint" and "More"® technologies. In 2005, the brand introduces O3, a breakthrough in tennis engineering and technology that increases the sweet spot by up to 54%, enabling players to hit their best shots, more often. Today, Prince Sports has operations on three continents and distribution in over 100 countries.
http://www.princetennis.com/news_events/press/press_release.asp?DocumentID=511
More about his clothing sposor
...The personality-challenged Russian Nikolay Davydenko is the life of the party at Prince, where he has just signed-on to wear the clothing line: "Davydenko is one of the most exciting young talents in world tennis and we are delighted that he has chosen to join the Prince team," said Alistair Thorburn, Prince Sports International President. "The interest in our new O3 technology has been so high that Nikolay wanted to try the O3 Tour in May. Since then, he and the racquet have become inseparable -- and the results thereafter speak for themselves." Wish the racquet spoke for itself, it'd probably give better post-match conferences...
http://www.tennis-x.com/xboard/viewtopic.php?t=775
http://www.tennis-x.com/xboard/viewtopic.php?t=775
Monday, September 19, 2005
Nikolay Davydenko, no 5 mondial, sera présent à Metz,
Les organisateurs ont également annoncé la présence de Richard Gasquet, finaliste de l'édition 2005
A un peu plus d'un mois du début du tournoi, les organisateurs viennent d'annoncer les premiers inscrits. Première bonne nouvelle, la présence de Nikolay Davydenko, 24 ans, en très grande forme depuis le début de l'année avec une victoire à St Poelten et plusieurs fois demi-finaliste notamment à Roland-Garros. Seront également présents aux Arènes de Metz, Richard Gasquet (no 15 mondial) finaliste de l'édition 2004, Ivan Ljubicic (no 16), Nicolas Massu (Champion olympique en titre) ainsi que les français Gael Monfils, Fabrice Santoro et Arnaud Clement.
Réservez dès maintenant vos places en ligne avec paiement sécurisé. Commander maintenant
Nikolay Davydenko, worldwide N. 5, will be present in Metz,
The organizers also announced the presence of Richard Gasquet, finalist of edition 2005 Is a little more than a month old of the beginning of tournament, the organizers have just announced the first registered students. First good news, the presence of Nikolay Davydenko, 24 years, in very big form since the beginning of the year with a win in St Poelten and several times semifinalist notably in Roland-Garros. Will also be present at the Arenae of Metz, Richard Gasquet (worldwide N. 15) finalist of edition 2004, Ivan Ljubicic (N. 16), Nicolas Massu (Olympic champion officially) as well as French Gael Monfils, Fabrice Santoro and Arnaud Clement. Reserve your online places with reassured payment from now on. Command now
http://www.opendemoselle.com/index.php?p=act&art=37
Les organisateurs ont également annoncé la présence de Richard Gasquet, finaliste de l'édition 2005
A un peu plus d'un mois du début du tournoi, les organisateurs viennent d'annoncer les premiers inscrits. Première bonne nouvelle, la présence de Nikolay Davydenko, 24 ans, en très grande forme depuis le début de l'année avec une victoire à St Poelten et plusieurs fois demi-finaliste notamment à Roland-Garros. Seront également présents aux Arènes de Metz, Richard Gasquet (no 15 mondial) finaliste de l'édition 2004, Ivan Ljubicic (no 16), Nicolas Massu (Champion olympique en titre) ainsi que les français Gael Monfils, Fabrice Santoro et Arnaud Clement.
Réservez dès maintenant vos places en ligne avec paiement sécurisé. Commander maintenant
Nikolay Davydenko, worldwide N. 5, will be present in Metz,
The organizers also announced the presence of Richard Gasquet, finalist of edition 2005 Is a little more than a month old of the beginning of tournament, the organizers have just announced the first registered students. First good news, the presence of Nikolay Davydenko, 24 years, in very big form since the beginning of the year with a win in St Poelten and several times semifinalist notably in Roland-Garros. Will also be present at the Arenae of Metz, Richard Gasquet (worldwide N. 15) finalist of edition 2004, Ivan Ljubicic (N. 16), Nicolas Massu (Olympic champion officially) as well as French Gael Monfils, Fabrice Santoro and Arnaud Clement. Reserve your online places with reassured payment from now on. Command now
http://www.opendemoselle.com/index.php?p=act&art=37
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