Davydenko makes Barcelona semis

Eurosport - Sat, 25 Apr 15:11:00 2009

Nikolay Davydenko fought back from a set down to beat Radek Stepanek 6-7 6-2 6-2 in the quarter-finals of the Barcelona Open and set up a last-four clash against world number one Rafael Nadal.

TENNIS 2009 ATP Barcelona Davydenko N. - Stepanek R. - 0

The Russian third seed was joined in the semi-finals by Chilean fifth seed Fernando Gonzalez, who defeated second-seeded Spaniard Fernando Verdasco 6-3 4-6 6-4.

Gonzalez will play last year's runner-up David Ferrer for a place in the final after the Spanish fourth seed knocked out compatriot and 2004 winner Tommy Robredo 6-3 6-4.

Davydenko lost the first-set tiebreak to Stepanek 7-4 but went on to break the Czech's serve twice in each of the next two sets, marking his best performance at the tournament since 2005 when he also made the semis.

The world number eight, who returned to the tour in Monte Carlo after two months out with a heel injury, said his standard of play had not been good enough to beat Nadal but he would be giving his all in the semi-final.

"I am trying to get back up to the level I was at before so I can beat players like (Andy) Murray or (Novak) Djokovic and this is a good chance for me to show my game," he said afterwards.

Asked what his strategy would be, he added: "It's a secret. If I tell the media he (Nadal) will read it tomorrow and you will see what happens."

Top seed Nadal had been due to play David Nalbandian for a place in the semis but a hip injury forced the seventh-seeded Argentine to withdraw from the tournament.

Nadal has won in Barcelona the past four years and became the first man to win the Monte Carlo Masters five times in a row when he beat Novak Djokovic in last weekend's final.

Reuters

Comment 1 - 10 of 10

Sort comments by: Most recent

  1. Should be very good match today Rafa vs Davydenko look­ forward to it.
    Would just like to say please change­ your mind Justine Henin and come back we need you and i­ miss you.Justine's respect for Rafa is outstanding­ as is Rafa's play.Good luck today Rafa.

    From AJ, on Sat 25 Apr 12:19PM

  2. Come on, so many people have given you feedback that­ you've listed Stepanek not Davydenko as playing the­ semis today - isn't anyone reading these­ comments??? Where else can we comment on mistakes on­ the "right-hand-side" of the site!!!

    I also­ wanted to say the Henin video was difficult to watch­ because the French and English were overlapping to the­ point of being incomprehensible

    From Bali, Maha, on Sat 25 Apr 10:15AM

  3. Nadal should be meeting Davydenko and not Stepanek.­ Please correct this on your programme schedule

    From Azunna, on Sat 25 Apr 10:12AM

  4. Wake up Eurosport - you are listing STEPANEK for the­ semis against Nadal today on the upcoming matches­ section. Davydenko is the man! Hanna 43

    From hsinghmal, on Sat 25 Apr 9:27AM

  5. Its going to be very interesting match­ Davydenko-Nadal...Davydenko has great technique,great­ player too....

    From Vlada V, on Sat 25 Apr 8:30AM

  6. For christsake make it right someone in the draw!

    From risimko, on Fri 24 Apr 7:50PM

  7. don't mind eurosport, they made a mistake with the­ names they'll probabaly correct it later. it's­ nadal vs davydenko match up.

    From monday, on Fri 24 Apr 5:04PM

  8. Lindashake and all your other desperate friends..if u­ are so amazing, why do u need to peddle yr wares here?­ Get lost!

    From y.soserius, on Fri 24 Apr 4:56PM

  9. lindashake02, you sound absolutely vile.

    From webbski, on Fri 24 Apr 4:49PM

  10. If Davydenko won, why does the drawsheet show Stepanek­ playing Nadal in the semis?

    From webbski, on Fri 24 Apr 4:36PM
Sort comments by: Most recent

Not already a Yahoo! user ? to get a free Yahoo! Account