2010 Shanghai Rolex Masters 1000: Defending Champion no more; Russia's Nikolay Davydenko
Russia's Nikolay Davydenko will not be able to defend his 2009 Shanghai Rolex Masters 1000 title this year, as Germany's Mischa Zverev ended his reign, defeating him 6-4 in the first set and 7-6 in the deciding set of the second round match played between the
two.
Sixth seed Davydenko received a bye into the second round of the tournament to face Zverev in the second round. On the contrary, the German qualifier eliminated Ukraine's Sergiy Stakhovsky in the first round to advance at the tournament.
Stakhovsky was defeated 6-1 in the first set, right before he took the second set 6-4. Nevertheless, Zverev bagged the deciding third set 7-6, based on his tie-break win. Mischa will be opposed by Argentina's Juan Monaco in the third round of the tournament.
In 2009, Davydenko cruised through the initial rounds of the Shanghai Rolex Masters 1000, to face Czech Republic's Radek Štěpánek in the quarter-finals of the championship.
Davydenko got off to a good start, taking the first set 6-1. Štěpánek however, turned the tables on the Russian, taking the second set 6-4. Nevertheless, Nikolay sent Radek home, taking the third set 6-4 to make it through to the semi-finals.
Seeded no. 2 at the tournament, Serbia's Novak Djokovic eliminated Frenchman Gilles Simon in the quarter-finals to face Davydenko in the semi-finals of their draw. Djokovic initiated the quarter-final match with a 6-3 win in the first set. Proceeding further,
Simon took the second set 6-2. Nevertheless, it was Nole who brought the match to a close, taking the third set 6-3 to advance at the championship.
Djokovic started off the semi-final, taking the first set 6-4. Davydenko however, came back to take the second set 6-4. Furthermore, the Russian went on to take the third set 7-6, upon winning a tie-breaker, to make it through to the championship final.
Meanwhile, top seed Rafael Nadal battled it out with compatriot Feliciano Lopez in the semi-finals of his draw. As the match commenced, Rafa took the first set 6-4. Furthermore, 3 games into the second set, Lopez pulled out of the tournament due to an injury,
as Nadal breezed through to the finals.
Upon going nip and tuck in the championship final, Davydenko took the first set 7-6, based on a tie-break win. Additionally, Rafa seemed to have lost his spark by the second set, as the Russian came out victorious, defeating the Spaniard 6-3, to clinch the
championship title.
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