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TENNIS MASTERS CUP

November 13, 2006

Nikolay Davydenko

SHANGHAI, CHINA

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Have you expected this match to be so difficult in the beginning, especially you got broken first, and you just came back to win the deciding set?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: It's tough to say because of beginning like I losing my serve and was 2-Love for Robredo. Because I don't know what's happen. Normally like I begin every time like last week, like last tournament, was beginning everything fast and play very well. And now, I just try come back every time.
I don't know, like say maybe it's was not nervous. I think was just not good enough to prepare for the first match because I did so many mistake and court was slow and balls was also slow. And I tried to hit, tried to make winners. And Robredo tried to play back and only make topspin, I did no mistake. Every like my mistake, what's happen, happen easy mistake. That's what happened. Tried to concentration better. Try to fight. It's was happen tiebreak in the first set. He get set points. Okay, I was lucky winning first set. After the first set, I was completely like tired. I cannot move, like I losing concentration, 2-0, and he win easy set.
And then just from beginning, like first set, I try to coming like from everything, try to concentration hundred percent, come back and like play every point like well. Just try to concentration every point.

Q. In the draw ceremony last Wednesday, Mr. Roger think you are one of the player that can compete for the Masters Cup championship especially after you won in Paris. What are your expectations of the tournament? You were here in the semifinals last year. Can you step forward?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: For me, yes, important play very well here because after Paris play well, and I think in coming here, like confidence good. Maybe winning today, it's was from confidence from last tournament. And if, like, because it's pretty slow here, I don't know, like for me, I need to be physically good.
Today I was -- like I think here in Shanghai physically I'm not so well. That's was I play like losing concentration in a match, and then come back and also again losing. That was not like hundred percent all match concentration to get, because like all time was long rally. And in this moment, I try to, you know, like maybe after this match against Robredo, three sets, like maybe coming physically better. And then in the second match I try to play better because all time, like I would say from my side, I beginning all time every tournament the first round slowly. Like tough like for me, like confidence. Try to be better and better in every match. That's what I try to the second match play better.

Q. I wish to know if for you is more important to win this Masters Cup or to win with your team Russia the final against Argentina?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Are you from Argentina?

Q. Yes.
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: I understand now (smiling).
Both. I want to try to win everything, you know. It's depends how I feeling. Davis Cup, I have time. I have two weeks' time for prepare. I am for sure to be fit for Davis Cup, I promise you. I will do my best.
Here, we'll see, because I have day off tomorrow. We'll see how I play on Wednesday.

Q. You're known for playing a lot of tournaments during the year. But since you've gotten better and better, now you play a lot of matches each week. Do you think that could explain some lack of concentration, lapses of concentration? You were talking about lapses of concentration today. Do you think it's a consequence of playing that much this year, and how will you deal with it next year?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Is not like -- is like I play so many matches, so many tournament this year. I losing I think 11 tournament in the first round. That's was only from my side 20 tournaments I play quarters or semis or winner tournament.
I don't think so, is so much, twenty tournaments. It's 20 weeks in all year, is not so big deal. If I play 30 tournaments, like every match, like every semifinal in all tournaments, maybe it's tough. But depends how I play. I losing more tournaments easy, you know, then take rest. I have time for prepare for the next tournament.
That's was for me is still in the tournament like every week, and try to be mentally good and physically good. That's was if I losing in the one tournament first round, I try to prepare for the next match. I have time for the next tournament play better and better.

Q. Could you compare the court surface between this year and last year. Is there a difference?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Yes, is different because last year was the same (indiscernible) what was happen in Paris this year. But why it's changing here because foot problem by everybody was here. Like Nadal was injured. That's why he didn't play no tournament this year of this surface like in Paris, and before tournament also was there.
And this surface, here was like same in Madrid. Running is good here. You can't be injuring by foot because is more sliding and not so sticky. That's why it's okay for the Shanghai. Maybe it's good because I think everybody still to play, no to be injury. It's more important, yeah. Nobody retired for here for top eight guys.

Q. The next question is you now have a good chance to go out of the round robin and to the finals. The next round is against James Blake and it will be a test, a very difficult test, because he plays very aggressively. So what's your expectation about this match against James?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: I think was for me today was more tougher because Robredo play pretty slowly and I try to hit from myself, like hitting try to make winners. Blake play a little bit more faster. That's was I think for me should be more easy to get control from baseline because he play fast and short. He didn't running so much and don't play like slowly points and some slow topspin. That's was he play all time fast, hitting for forehand, backhand. And if I moving good my legs and just try to control this from baseline, I think I have good chance to win also.

Q. Two question.
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Two (smiling)?

Q. Your spectators call you Cola during a match. Why?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Because in Russian, like international, like in passport Nikolay is everybody say Nikolay. But in Russian name, my name is Cola. It's not nickname, it's normal name of Russia.

Q. Short name?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Like normal name, Russian name. But is long name Nikolay.

Q. We know the Russian president. He is tennis fan.
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Who?

Q. Putin.
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: No, Putin not.
THE MODERATOR: Former president, the former president.

Q. No, no, Putin because he moved to see Davis Cup.
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: No... mistake.

Q. Mistake, okay. Yeltsin, did he ever watch you play, watch your match?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: This question, I'm in China, he's in Moscow. How I can...

Q. Not here, in Russia?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: In Davis Cup, yes. Like it was interesting. In Kremlin Cup, he coming only one time to my first-round match. That's it. I never see him again then in Kremlin Cup.

End of FastScripts

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