Russia`s Nikolay Davydenko hopes his dazzling displays to win the ATP World Tour Finals title will finally allow him to step out of the shadow of compatriot Marat Safin who retired this month.
|Last Updated: Nov 30, 2009, 10:42 AM IST|Source: Bureau
Moscow: Russia`s Nikolay Davydenko hopes his dazzling displays to win the ATP World Tour Finals title will finally allow him to step out of the shadow of compatriot Marat Safin who retired this month.
The slender 28-year-old could probably walk around the streets of Moscow or London unnoticed, even with the USD 1.5 million cheque from Sunday`s 6-3 6-4 victory against Juan Martin del Potro burning a hole in his pocket.
Throughout his impressive career he has remained almost anonymous to all but serious tennis followers. He admitted that he hardly signed an autograph this week at London`s O2 Arena, despite beating Rafael Nadal in the round-robin stage and stunning world number one Roger Federer en route to the final.
While Safin, the former world number one and US Open and Australian Open champion, was pure box office, Davydenko has rarely been on the radar, apart from when his name cropped up in a scandal over suspect betting patterns in 2007.
Although Davydenko was cleared of any wrongdoing it was an episode that hung over his career for a while.
"Everybody concentrates on Nadal and Federer," he told reporters after landing the biggest of his 19 career titles."Everybody`s looking this way, not on me. Maybe now, after London, I`ll be just a small part famous here in London.”
"And I hope that I will become famous in Russia. For me it`s really important. It was always disappointing when I played against Marat and it was 80 percent support for him.”
"I hope now Marat is finished everybody supports me."
Davydenko, who enjoys sitting on a river bank with a fishing rod more than the glitzy lifestyle of a top sportsman, said he planned to spend some of his winnings in the Maldives next week when he will finally get a holiday.
He may even splash out on an apartment in Moscow.
"I will spend a lot of money in Maldives. But I`ll still keep money because I want to buy an apartment still. I didn`t buy an apartment in Moscow, it`s so expensive.”
"But this million gives me a chance to buy an apartment in Moscow."Once Davydenko is through spending his money he said he will start planning for next year and finally trying to break into the grand slam winners` enclosure.
The Russian has reached two French Open semi-finals and two US Open semi-finals but has always fallen just short, albeit in an era containing some of the best players to play the game.
"If grand slams were best of three sets, yes I would win some," said Davydenko. "Winning in three sets is much easier.
"I don`t know what I need to do for sure for the next season but I need to have very good physical preparation for the five-set matches in Australia."
Bureau Report
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.