Nikolay Davydenko literally appeared to be in all corners of the court at the same time during his three hour shootout with Novak Djokovic in the Shanghai Open Masters semifinals. Eating up the quick pace of Djokovic’s shots allowed Davydenko to hit winners from varying angles causing one commentator to compare the Russian to the “matrix”.
Davydenko’s 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (1) win puts him in the final against Rafael Nadal who won over Feliciano Lopez 6-1, 3-0 (retired). Lopez said he woke up that morning with a right foot infection and then twisted his ankle later on the match.
Nadal has now won two matches on retirement and should be the favorite since he has played less tennis than Davydenko. Yet the Russian has not been been beaten in the other three finals he’s been in and a win in Shanghai will put him good shape for qualifying for the ATP London finale later this year.
Adjusting the Net 