Fernando Gonzalez of Chile reacts after winning a point against Roger Federer of Switzerland during their match at the 2007 Tennis Masters Cup at Qi Zhong Stadium, Shanghai, China, Monday, Nov. 12, 2007. Gonzalez beat Federer 4-6, 7-6 (1), 7-5.
Photo: AP
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Gonzalez Shocks Shanghai
Nikolay Davydenko of Russia lost the opening tie to U.S. Andy Roddick at the Masters Cup tennis tournament in Shanghai November 12, 2007. But not that defeat stole the show yesterday. Chile’s Fernando Gonzalez overwhelmed Roger Federer of Switzerland that day at Qi Zhong Stadium, beating the Swiss 4-6 7-6 (1) 7-5.
By far not the showman able to attract crowds, Nikolay Davydenko is very popular today. The reason is the ATP investigation probing whether the Russian tends to lose deliberately.
Even his wife, Irina was interrogated, Davydenko said. Asked by ATP detectives how far they lived from the so-called billionaires' street in Moscow, she gave the exact distance – roughly two thousand kilometers from it, in Volgograd.
“It has become ridiculous. I no longer pay attention to what they are writing about me,” Nikolay claimed. And he was probably sincere, at least he didn’t look psychologically shaken when opposing Andy Roddick. But the physical form of the Russian, who is suffering from the elbow pains, didn’t suffice for three sets Monday.
Roddick, who had always crushed Davydenko previously (4-0), was obviously dominating yesterday. But even the American had to survive the scare when he lost the first set. He smashed his racquet and took the second one along with the decider (6-3 4-6 6-2).
The loser of that match had been well-forecasted similar to the loser of the Red Group’s second match played by Fernando Gonzalez and Roger Federer. But the life is full of surprises. Gonzalez, whom Federer had beaten in all 10 previous matches, predictably yielded the first set yesterday, but shocked the Swiss by incredibly marvelous tennis later on and won the opening match at the round-robin part of the competition.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of Nov. 13, 2007
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