Nikolay Davydenko

A player known for running hard and possessing a backhand that could end points in a hurry, Ukraine-born Russian tennis star Nikolay Davydenko remains one of the most consistent tennis players to have emerged from the country. He turned pro in 1999 and although he mainly competed in the Futures Tour at that time, he won one title and reached three finals.

His Grand Slam debut would have to wait until 2001, by which time he had won an ATP Challenger event. Davydenko would eventually go on to establish himself as a consistent presence on the circuit, although it is worth noting that he never won a Grand Slam title. He did, however, win 21 titles in singles competition and a further two titles in doubles competition. He was also a consistent member of Russia’s Davis Cup squad and was a threat particularly on the hard courts. He would retire from the sport at the end of 2014.

From 2003-11, Davydenko won at least one title every year. He won titles at Estoril and Adelaide in 2003, and followed this up with another two titles in Munich and Moscow. But it was in 2006 and 2007 that he really shone brightest in his career. That year saw him win a whopping five titles, including the ATP Masters 1000 event at Paris – his first Masters win of his career.

2006 was also the year he made the quarters of the Australian Open and the semis of the US Open. On both occasions he lost out to Federer. Indeed, it’s worth noting that of the four semi-final appearances he made at Grand Slams, three of them saw him lose to Federer. Only the 2005 French Open semi-final saw him lose to a different opponent in Mariano Puerta. Still, his impressive 2006 showings saw him finish the year ranked 3rd in the ATP rankings.

He would go on to win two more ATP Masters events – at Miami in 2008 and Shanghai in 2009. 2009 also saw him pick up the crowing glory of his career when he ended up winning the year-ending ATP Finals event, beating Juan Martin del Porto in straight sets. It was sweet redemption for him, as he lost the previous year’s final at this event to Novak Djokovic.

He would go on to win two more titles – at Doha in 2010 and Munich in 2011. Yet he would never again capture the heights of 2009.

Davydenko’s playing style revolved largely around industry and athleticism. He was very quick on his feet and also possessed good anticipation, often leading him to hit shots which others might not see coming. He favoured using groundstrokes and was comfortable using either a backhand or forehand for the same. He also favoured playing a running shot.

His serve wasn’t the fastest or the most accurate, but he worked hard to make his serves better over time and he was consistent with his services. Where he lacked was in terms of finishing games, especially when he was in the latter stages of a Grand Slam. He became notorious for losing games where he was leading. His volleys were also lacking in terms of power.

Australian Open – quarterfinalist in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2010
French Open – semi-finalist in 2005 and 2007
Wimbledon – fourth round in 2007
US Open – semi-finalist in 2006 and 2007