Brilliant Davydenko Wins Shanghai amid 9 Retirements from the Field

PETE ZIEBRON

 

Nikolay Davydenko dazzled tennis fans everywhere, thrashing Rafael Nadal in Sunday’s Final 7-6(3), 6-3 to win the inaugural Shanghai Masters 1000.  Davydenko blasted 35 winners compared to only 9 from Nadal.  This aggressive style of play from Davydenko offered tennis enthusiasts a refreshing, contrasting style of play as it forced Nadal into a defensive posture, pinning him well behind the baseline for the majority of the match.

 

Davydenko came into the Final full of confidence and parlayed his successful brand of tennis from Saturday’s semifinal victory over #2 seed Novak Djokovic, where he won 11 of the final 12 points of the match, dropping only one point in the third set tiebreaker.  With the win in Shanghai, Davydenko improved to 18-5 lifetime in Finals, including a perfect 3-0 in Masters 1000 Finals.

 

However, Davydenko’s spectacular shot making display, which most likely secured him a berth in the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in London in November, was not the only story from the Shanghai Masters 1000.  Unfortunately, nine players retired from their matches, including:

 

• Jose Acasuso, 1^st round
• Mischa Zverev 1^st round
• Andy Roddick, 2^nd round
• Tommy Haas, 2^nd round
• Juan Martin del Potro, 2^nd round
• Gael Monfils, 3^rd round
• Stanislaus Wawrinka, 3^rd round
• Ivan Ljubicic, Quarterfinals
• Feliciano Lopez, Semifinals

 

Meanwhile, Asian tennis fans were concurrently disappointed since Roger Federer and Andy Murray were unable to compete in Shanghai due to fatigue and injury respectively. 

 

Hopefully for tennis aficionados worldwide, the field will be able to regain their health in time for the final Masters 1000 event beginning November 8 at Paris Bercy.  Fan favorite Marat Safin will play his last professional tournament in Bercy.