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Nikolay Davydenko Rebuilding Confidence, Game At US Open
By Richard Pagliaro
© Natasha Peterson/Corleve
(August 30, 2010) Nikolay Davydenko is back from a broken left wrist, but it's his confidence that still shows some cracks. The sixth-seeded Russian rolled to a 6-4, 6-1, 6-3 US Open first-round win over 32-year-old Houston resident Michael Russell in a battle of veterans on Armstrong Stadium Court, but the two-time US Open semifinalist says it's his head, rather than his wrist that poses the biggest challenge as he tries to regain his form.
"Head. Mentally (it is a) problem," Davydenko said. "Because you always practicing. You can play forehand, backhand, but for sure it's important on the match what you need to do with forehand and backhand. That's it. You can hit balls, but where you hit and how you hit, that's the much important. That's was everything it's important in your mind, like concentration and you see how the ball finally where you need to play and everything. That's very difficult."
The 29-year-old Russian was sidelined for 11 weeks after breaking his left wrist in Indian Wells in March. Though Davydenko is right handed, his two-handed backhand is one of his best shots and the injury left him unable to practice it.
When healthy, Davydenko typically is one of the Tour leaders in matches played. The enforced layoff gave him time to spend with wife Irina, who now assists Davydenko's brother, Eduard as his coach. While Davydenko said the time off recharged him emotionally, it drained some of his self-confidence and he says he no longer feels like a top 10 player.
"For sure I am happy now come back, have recover from injury and feeling now in the tournament. I like to playmore tournament matches," Davydenko said. "But tennis is different. Not better. For sure not better. Before my injury I feel much more confidence and I feel much more stronger. If you play matches, you feel like top 10. In the moment, I don't feel like this. I don't feel like I play like top 10."
Two players on the comeback trail will square off in the second round when Davydenko takes on Richard Gasquet, a 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 victory over Germany's Simon Greul. World No. 37 Gasquet tested positive for cocaine in Miami in March of 2009, missed the 2009 Roland Garros and Wimbledon but successfully appealed his suspension and was reinstated to tennis.
Davydenko, who was once at the center of a gambling investigation in a match in Sopot, Poland, but was eventually cleared of any wron doing, said Gasquet is still a top 10 talent.
"He was good player. For sure is also head problem," Davydenko said. (It is) not about tennis. He play very good tennis. It's like if he was already like in top 20 and top 10, why not? You know, always you can come back. It's not big problem."
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