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  • Nadal and Davydenko set for another dogfight in Paris

    10/31/08 11:47 AM | David Cox
    - It's a dream set of quarterfinals with all the big names making it through to the last eight. Rafael Nadal faces his toughest test of the week against Nikolay Davydenko, who dropped just two games in the 3rd round.

    Nadal and Davydenko have enjoyed some real dogfights in the past with the Spaniard usually just coming out on top. It was 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 in the 2006 Masters Cup and then 7-6(3), 6-7(8), 6-4 in a desperately close 2007 Rome semifinal as Davydenko came within a few points of ending the Spaniard's legendary unbeaten streak on clay.

    Davydenko finally got his revenge in this year's Miami final, blowing Nadal off the court 6-4, 6-2 in the final, but once back on the red dirt, Nadal was unstoppable, 6-3, 6-2 in Monte Carlo a month later.

    Neither has been seriously tested so far this week, though Davydenko received a tough first assignment against Ivan Ljubicic with chances few and far between against the big Croat's serve. Nadal has yet to drop more than six games.

    Nadal will need to tighten up on his service games, because if Davydenko has as many break points as Monfils last night, the chances are he won't let them pass by. Nadal will be wary of the Russian's cross-court backhand which was the telling shot when they met in Miami, stretching Nadal and opening the court up to attack the backhand.

    Prediction: Nadal to make the semis but another close three-setter

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Comments

Poor Rafa, he should just skip the rest of the year! Good luck Nikolay!!!!

RafaNadalGirl20 , 10/31/08 10:39 PM



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