So Davy playing in Vienna instead of St Petersberg? I hope he can go far this tournament, poor guy, he never seem to recover his form after his injury. I hope he still has a few good years left in him.

I think James is still dealing with recovery problems. He can't seem to handle playing consecutive weeks. I was hoping he'd be able to get to the QFs at least, but his SF showing in Stockholm should do wonders for his ebbing confidence and ranking dip.

lucky,

I watched the semifinal of the Moscow tournament with Davy and Tipsy. I haven't seen Davy in some time and was surprised at how his game has deteriorated. His serve wasn't working well at all and all of the strengths that he has used so well in the past, just weren't there. Tipsy outplayed him from the start. He had all the answers and Davy struggled just to stay with him.

We will have to see how he can do in Vienna. However, there is no question that he is a shadow of the player he once was and injury has taken its toll.

Thanks NNY. Davy got knocked out by his opponent at Vienna. Looks like is will be a long way back for him. I read it somewhere that during one of his recent interviews, he mentioned that if he's unable to get his game back on track, he may quit! I don't know what's the deadline he sets for himself for him to get back on track. I hope he won't quit so soon, I love watching him play, especially against Nole, Delpo and Fed during 2009, where he played his best tennis. He had beaten Rafa three straight times since Shanghai 2009 right up to Doha 2010. When Davy is at the top of his game, he's so brilliant; I always remember Delpo's 'playstation' remark about Davy after losing to Davy in the WTF final in 2009!

lucky,

I just saw the article about Davy's loss. I haven't been able to watch any of this tournament so far. I honestly am not surprised at all after what I saw in Moscow. The Davy you remember from 2009 up until early 2010 is no longer. I think age and injuries have caught up with him. It was almost painful to see him struggle against Tipsy. He had a good run in the top ten for many years and maybe he senses that this is the end of the road. It will be up to him to decide if he has a chance to play the kind of tennis that he has played in the past. It's a very personal decision that only he can make. I don't want to see him playing and losing like this.

Davy is one of the players I have always admired for his tenacity and determination and will always remember the match he played against Rafa in Rome when they were so close - it was brilliant.

I am sad that he has not managed to come back to his previous level since his wrist injury but will never forget his performance at the WTF 2009 when he even beat the great Fed for the first time and then went on to lift the trophy by beating Del Potro in the final. I think I have my facts right but if not I apologise in advance.

I know he was always a difficult opponent for Rafa but you still have to admire the guy for what he has achieved.

I think Davydenko made the very most of his natural ability. He certainly wasn't a "star" in the traditional sense, but what a fierce competitor!

A pity he's losing like this now.

schatz, 10/27/11 7:24 PM That Rome SF was indeed an epic duel - just short of four and half hours of high octane tennis which ranks high on my list of memorable matches too. It is sad to see him waning like this but I will always remember his look of wonderment and delight when he lifted the WTF and was so pleased for him that his talent and tenacity had finally paid off.

It seems that Blake is another player we might be about to lose. That man is the epitome of mental fortitude and physical courage. I have two nephews with scoliosis and know exactly what he endured during his teenage years. To come through that, plus a broken neck and debilitating shingles and still play scinitillating tennis is nothing short of a miracle.

ed, I agree with u about Davydenko, small man, big, much determination, what's not to like? When he beat Delpot at WTF it was a magic moment truly David slaying Goliath :)
I read somewhere that he's the "poorest" of the top players and may explain why he may go on playing way past his sell-by date. I assume it's because of lack of sponsorship deals in Russia.
I agree about Blake too, so much to admire...and being half British of course.....;)

Ed, did you remember wrongly about the time taken for the Rome SF match in 2007? I watched that match on DVD, it's a three sets match so I don't think it's four and a half hours! The Rome 2006 final between Fed and Rafa did last for about five hours but it's a five sets match.

Re: Davy. He had a Dunlop deal signed recently just before he got injured. I was happy for him when he clinched that deal, but how sad it is that he ended up injured. If he retires soon, there goes all the sponsorship money. Poor guy, but he had amassed 13 over million during his career and won 20 titles, including three Masters and one YE championship, quite a good career I have to say. I really hope that he can at least get back to top twenty and still have a few more years to play some good tennis.

Lucky: My bad. My memory was playing tricks. The total time was 3hrs 38mins. But I do remember thinking at the time the first set (which was an hour and a half) had taken as long as many a 3-set match! Here is a link to the BBC match report.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/tennis/6649985.stm

7:31 AM I'm not sure now if it was in the SF or final but I also remember he had a 100% first serve score during the first set. Cant be too many people who've done that.