Nikolay Davydenko

Nikolay Davydenko is the top ranked men single's player in Russia. The talented 26 year old has improved gradually over the past four years and looks certain to achieve his first grand slam breakthrough in the near future.

Player Biography

Nikolay Davydenko was born in the Ukraine in 1981. His aptitude for tennis led to him relocating to Russia at the age of 11 to improve his prospects of pursuing a career in the sport. At the age of 15 Davydenko relocated once again, this time singling out Germany for its excellent facilities and financial incentives.

Career

After a number of years playing on the Futures tour, Nikolay Davydenko made his ATP debut in 1999 at the Amsterdam Open where he performed well to reach the semi-final. His first victory in a Challenger tournament came in August when he won the title at Monchengladbach.

Grand Slam Record

A disastrous debut at the 2001 Australian Open that saw Davydenko knocked out in the second round set the tone for the next four years of his career. Davydenko struggled to overcome a two year barren patch before being rewarded with good victories in tournaments in Estoril, Adelaide, Moscow and Munich in 2003 and 2004.

The 2005 season proved to be a turning point in Nikolay Davydenko's career as he won through to the quarterfinals of the Australian Open and followed this excellent performance with a semi-final appearance at Roland Garros.

These encouraging grand slam performances built a strong platform for the 2006 season where Davydenko began playing at his best, taking home five ATP titles. The Russian performed well in the grand slams once again, reaching the final stages of the French and Australian Opens as well as the semi-finals of the US Open.

While 2007 was a quieter season that yielded only one ATP title, Davydenko consolidated his position as a serious grand slam contender by reaching the semi-finals of both the French and US Open tennis championships.

Playing Style

Nikolay Davydenko's strength is a well-developed all round game which allows him to hit a wide variety of shots with power and accuracy. He is renowned for his ability to hit shots on the run. His biggest weakness is his tendency to concede early leads and wilt under pressure in big games.