Cedrik-Marcel Stebe stuns Nikolay Davydenko in first round – Mercedes Cup 2011
Kicking off play for the day at the Mercedes cup 2011 was the mighty Russian world No. 29 Nikolay Davydenko as he took on home player and world No. 197 Cedrik-Marcel Stebe in their first round match. The match was being played
on classic clay court at the TC Weissenhof Court Stuttgart, Germany. Both players were facing each other for the first time on this tour.
The match started with Davydenko opening service in the first set. He immediately lost the first game. Cedrik, after winning his first breakpoint, won the second game to go 2-0 in the lead. Serving for the third game of the match
Davydenko eventually won his first game of the set making the scores 2-1. Cedrik-Marcel continued his lead winning the next game on his serve changing the score to 3-1 followed by the Russian who was gaining up as he won the next game.
The scores settled on 3-2 before the start of the 6th game. The German continued to pressurize the former World No. 3 but failed as Nikolay won his first breakpoint of the match making it 3-3 on the score board. Proving
to be a sensation, Davydenko cheesed up in following 3 games including a breakpoint and changed the horizon of the match as he rushed the set 6-3.
Starting the second set serving first, the German could not be more frustrated if he lost the first game of the second set as well. Giving away another breakpoint to the Russian, the 20 year old right hander seemed to be of no
match as he was mustered throughout the court by the former world No.3. However, the young 20-year-old finally managed to win a surprising breakpoint to level the scores of the set to one game each.
The German star booted up the next two games as well to make his lead 3-1 after the 4th game. Perfecting his shots against the strong Russian, Cedrik extended his lead to 4-1. The 20-year-old home player gave the former
world No.3 and the commentators a stunner when he mastered game 14 and 15, levelling the set score to 1-1 with the Russian.
The young German proved to be dominating as he won a breakpoint in game 16 of the match and lead the 3rd set 1-0. Extending his lead to 2-0, the 20 year old proved to be fatal for the Old Russian. Underestimating his
opponent, the Russian was now vulnerable and continued to lose in game 17 and 18 as well. Finally after losing 9 games in a row, Davydenko had a breather and succeeded in winning the next two games changing the scores to 2 games to 3.
The match intensified as Davydenko levelled the scores once again to 3-3. From then onwards Davydenko seemed somehow reenergized. Winning one after the other, both players were now at level score 4-4 in the decisive set. With an
outstanding act of performance, Cedrik won a breakpoint in the second last game and flushed out Davydenko in the last making history and winning the set and the match 3-6, 6-1, 6-4.
Cedrik Marcel would now face either his fellow countryman Robin Kern or Fabio Fognini of Italy in the next draw.
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