Both our weekend winners were knocked out in Hamburg today - Jeremy Chardy unsurprisingly knocked out by Nikolay Davydenko and Nicolas Almagro (underwhelmer this season) got the better of Robin Soderling, snapping his winning streak against players not named Roger Federer.Both our weekend winners were knocked out in Hamburg today - Jeremy Chardy unsurprisingly knocked out by Nikolay Davydenko and Nicolas Almagro (underwhelmer this season) got the better of Robin Soderling, snapping his winning streak against players not named Roger Federer.
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But I've talked enough about the Yoker in the last week, so I thought we'd talk a little today about Davydenko - who has to be one of the best players and least-discussed around. I mean, I get why - he has the personality of cardboard - but he is certainly one of the most consistent players our game has seen in the last little while.
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And that's something, you know? That's really something.
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He's never reached a Slam final and I don't really think he ever will - he's getting on a bit, now - but he's been a consistent quarterfinalist and an occasional semifinalist. He rarely wins (that Masters Series shield last year aside) but he's always there, challenging the guys that win. It must be tough - playing the eternal bridesmaid... maybe this is why he always plays tournaments like these, out of whack with the natural order of things, because it means that he gets to win for once.
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Kolya's good for the game. And his dull personality has had one advantage - I think everyone's pretty much forgotten that scandal he had a while back with... it was match-fixing, wasn't it? See, I've even forgotten. Obviously scandal = bad, but Kolya on the whole = good, if you ask me... may he continue to be there in the second week (or so to speak) for time to come.
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Today's Results
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International German Open (Hamburg)
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Pablo Cuevas def. Philipp Kohlschreiber, 6-4 7-6 (10-8)
Nicolas Almgaro def. Robin Soderling, 7-5 6-3
Paul-Henri Mathieu def. Daniel Brands, 7-5 7-5
Nikolay Davydenko def. Jeremy Chardy, 6-3 6-3
Simon Greul def. Ivan Navarro, 7-5 7-6 (9-7)
David Ferrer def. Juan Monaco, 4-6 7-5 6-2
Viktor Troicki def. Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, 6-7 (2-7) 6-4 7-6 (8-6)
Victor Hanescu def. Julien Benneteau, 3-6 6-3 6-3
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Indianapolis Tennis Championships (Indianapolis)
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Alex Bogmolov Jr. def. Dudi Sela, 6-4 7-6 (7-5)
Wayne Odesnik def. Igor Kunitsyn, 2-6 6-1 6-1
Marcos Daniel def. Taylor Dent, 6-2 6-4
Marc Gicquel def. Jesse Levine, 6-2 6-2
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Banka Koper Slovenia Open (Portoroz)
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Sara Errani def. Klara Zakopalova, 6-1 6-1
Camille Pin def. Petra Kvitova, 6-4 6-4
Alberta Brianti def. Olga Govortsova, 6-4 6-1
Petra Martic def. Vesna Manasieva, 6-1 6-3
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Nurnberger Gastein Ladies (Bad Gastein)
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Alize Cornet def. Patricia Mayr, 3-6 6-4 6-1
Ioana Raluca Olaru def. Sybille Bammer, 4-6 6-2 6-1
Andrea Petkovic def. Iveta Benesova, 6-1 retired
Barbora Zahlavova Strycova def. Nuria Llagostera Vives, 6-0 6-3
*
But I've talked enough about the Yoker in the last week, so I thought we'd talk a little today about Davydenko - who has to be one of the best players and least-discussed around. I mean, I get why - he has the personality of cardboard - but he is certainly one of the most consistent players our game has seen in the last little while.
*
And that's something, you know? That's really something.
*
He's never reached a Slam final and I don't really think he ever will - he's getting on a bit, now - but he's been a consistent quarterfinalist and an occasional semifinalist. He rarely wins (that Masters Series shield last year aside) but he's always there, challenging the guys that win. It must be tough - playing the eternal bridesmaid... maybe this is why he always plays tournaments like these, out of whack with the natural order of things, because it means that he gets to win for once.
*
Kolya's good for the game. And his dull personality has had one advantage - I think everyone's pretty much forgotten that scandal he had a while back with... it was match-fixing, wasn't it? See, I've even forgotten. Obviously scandal = bad, but Kolya on the whole = good, if you ask me... may he continue to be there in the second week (or so to speak) for time to come.
*
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Today's Results
*
International German Open (Hamburg)
*
Pablo Cuevas def. Philipp Kohlschreiber, 6-4 7-6 (10-8)
Nicolas Almgaro def. Robin Soderling, 7-5 6-3
Paul-Henri Mathieu def. Daniel Brands, 7-5 7-5
Nikolay Davydenko def. Jeremy Chardy, 6-3 6-3
Simon Greul def. Ivan Navarro, 7-5 7-6 (9-7)
David Ferrer def. Juan Monaco, 4-6 7-5 6-2
Viktor Troicki def. Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, 6-7 (2-7) 6-4 7-6 (8-6)
Victor Hanescu def. Julien Benneteau, 3-6 6-3 6-3
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Indianapolis Tennis Championships (Indianapolis)
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Alex Bogmolov Jr. def. Dudi Sela, 6-4 7-6 (7-5)
Wayne Odesnik def. Igor Kunitsyn, 2-6 6-1 6-1
Marcos Daniel def. Taylor Dent, 6-2 6-4
Marc Gicquel def. Jesse Levine, 6-2 6-2
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Banka Koper Slovenia Open (Portoroz)
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Sara Errani def. Klara Zakopalova, 6-1 6-1
Camille Pin def. Petra Kvitova, 6-4 6-4
Alberta Brianti def. Olga Govortsova, 6-4 6-1
Petra Martic def. Vesna Manasieva, 6-1 6-3
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Nurnberger Gastein Ladies (Bad Gastein)
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Alize Cornet def. Patricia Mayr, 3-6 6-4 6-1
Ioana Raluca Olaru def. Sybille Bammer, 4-6 6-2 6-1
Andrea Petkovic def. Iveta Benesova, 6-1 retired
Barbora Zahlavova Strycova def. Nuria Llagostera Vives, 6-0 6-3
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2 comments:
I've never understood why everyone thinks Kolya is so dull. Maybe on court? I've always thought he was deadpan hilarious.
Hey Jodi. I think it got totally overlooked, but to me, his best shot at making a Slam final was this year's French. I know Soderling was playing lights out, but as much as Federer took hold of the situation, Davydenko should have been doing the same thing.
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