Mardy Fish crushes Nikolay Davydenko in the second round – Western & Southern Open 2011
American number 1 Mardy Fish, ranked 7th in the world, continued on his great form as he thrashed former world number 3 Nikolay Davydenko of Russia in straight sets in the round of 32 at the Western and Southern Open
in Cincinnati on Wednesday. The in-form American dropped just two games in the entire match, winning it 6-0, 6-2 in just an hour and two minutes.
Fish was flawless in the first set as he did not lose even a single game in the entire set. The American broke Davydenko in the first, third and fifth game, winning all his service games easily to clinch the set 6-0.
The Tampa, Florida resident dominated in all aspects of the game as he bombarded six aces and clinched an amazing eleven of the twelve points on the first serve in the opening set. The right-handed also sealed an incredible seven
of the eleven first return points. The six feet and two inches tall did not face any break point on his own serve and capitalised on three of the five break point opportunities he created on Davydenko’s serve in the first set.
The second set was a bit competitive as compared to the opening set as Fish and the Russian held their serve in the first four games to level the score at 2-2. However, after that it was again all Fish show as he claimed four successive
games, breaking Davydenko in the fifth and seventh game to bag the set 6-2.
The American once again won most of the points on his first serves, converting ten of the eleven of them into points in the second set.
Talking to the reporters, Fish said, “It's much harder to play when you're supposed to win but there is also a reason why I'm 7 in the world now: It's because I've transformed and figured out a way to beat a lot of players. I figured
out a way to be a really good player.”
The American added, “I can impose my serve game like today and impose my return game on a lot guys that hopefully makes them feel uncomfortable. I think makes them feel pretty uncomfortable. It would be a tough scenario to play
someone that serves and returns well. I would feel like you wouldn't have much room for error. That's the goal.”
Fish is drawn to face twelfth seed Richard Gasquet of France in the round of 16.
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