	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

BARCLAYS ATP WORLD TOUR FINALS

November 28, 2009

Nikolay Davydenko

LONDON, ENGLAND

N. DAVYDENKO/R. Federer
6-2, 4-6, 7-5

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Wow, so many guys coming now after semis (smiling).

Q. So you finally did it. You made it. How did you do it?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: I think that's what everybody wanting asking.
Yeah, I think all my family, everybody who support me, wait for this moment, you know, when I can beat Federer, because I beat everyone in top 10 except Federer.
Yeah, I was thinking it coming maybe 2010 or '11. But in 2009, end of the season, it's good feeling.

Q. Do you think it will be easier for you to find a sponsor now, racquet sponsor? Prince perhaps?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: It's no problem to find racquet sponsor. It's a problem play with these racquets. Because I can find sponsor. Doesn't matter, in other racquets. But if I can play like this today with other racquets, I don't know, maybe not.
That's for me it's important how I play first, not about money, how much pay for me another company. Then I losing everything, out from top 10, and then disappointment about this.

Q. There was another player of the past who was Vitas Gerulaitis.
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: I was just start to thinking (smiling).

Q. You were a kid. But anyhow, he was beaten 17 times by other player called Connors.
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: This guy I know.

Q. Vitas was a friend of mine. I asked him, Can you play another match? Do you think you have a chance? Gerulaitis say no. Beaten before you come to the court. You were beaten 12 times. What was your mind coming on to the court?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Really don't think about anything. Just think about, Okay, I losing, tomorrow go home, next day already Maldives. That's really my mind. Really don't care. I have no pressure.
I know I was play good. I was thinking today I want to show the same like confidence like yesterday, because I won yesterday and I really feel good. That's was happen. It really happen, my fourth match, play very well.

Q. Did you do anything different with your strategy today to the other 12 times?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: I don't know, not really. I know always play -- was for me tough play against slice against Roger. He have very good slice, and then fast backhand topspin. After slice, he play very well backhand, forehand. He have really not so many chance to make winners for me.
What I did, couple volley, some serve, and then some return, 7-5 in the third (smiling).

Q. I remember talking to you during the US Open and you said your confidence at the moment was very low. It was the match before Soderling. Talk about how your game has developed the last couple months, where it's standing right now?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Well, you speak so interesting English, I didn't understand a word.
THE MODERATOR: How has your game developed over the last three months?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Okay, now I understand, translate ATP.
After US Open, I was coming in, indoor season, practicing like preparation for indoor. Winning Kuala Lumpur. Play very well Asia. Like, okay, I lost in Beijing against Cilic, but Cilic play very well. Won Shanghai. Then come back to Europe, play also good, like Valencia semifinal. Okay, losing against Soderling in three sets Paris Bercy. Every tournament, like all five, six weeks, I show my good tennis, you know.
Now again coming here in London, all matches, like every match, I play well. That's was I am surprising myself, you know, how I do so long every week, play well, good constants [sic], and good concentration for every match.

Q. You look so happy, Nikolay. I wonder if you feel like this win is nearly better than winning the tournament?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Maybe because beat Federer, yeah, then I know I beat everyone in top 10. That's was is good feeling, really good feeling. I don't think, Now I'm No. 1 because I beat Federer. But I know now in confidence, if I beat everyone, then I can play very well. Then feeling, Why not?
Like if I come to the match, play against No. 1, No. 2, No. 3 in the world, I have chance. Is not like before match I feeling, Okay, I have 10% chance to win, and try to win. But now I was feeling, Yes, I can win match against these guys.
That's was really good confidence for sure for next year.

Q. If you play the final against Del Potro, what kind of match do you expect? What do you think about Del Potro?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Del Potro, nice guy. You know, we talking together, practicing together sometimes. He's baseline player, for sure. I remember last match in Shanghai last year, baseline. Little bit change. He start to play faster, better serve.
I don't know how he play today. I don't want to say now tomorrow I play against Del Potro. I would like to play against Del Potro tomorrow. But for sure, yesterday, Soderling show me very good tennis, and I really don't know who can win today.

Q. Is Soderling also a nice guy? And would you prefer playing him, since you beat him yesterday?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Soderling maybe nice guy. I don't speak with him so much, you know. I don't know. I have not so many contact with Sweden. But I know is not like say I'm scared against like Soderling. I know is difficult play against him. I lost many times three sets, and won in this year two times in three sets.
For sure every match against Soderling very difficult, very tough. That's was I don't really know results, what's gonna happen.

Q. You only had 15 hours before last night and today's match. How do you feel physically ahead of one more match with three sets today?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: I was tired, really tired. Between yesterday and today, I was feeling, like I say, moving little bit slow. If you don't see, it's okay. But I was feeling concentration not like every match, like every game or every point hundred percent.
We'll see tomorrow. Now I have little bit more time. For sure I want recovery hundred percent. I hope tomorrow I be fit, you know, for the final.

Q. At what time did you go to sleep yesterday?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: At 3. Because I was coming at 1, do massage, one and a half hour. But if you see, I play three times the night session. That was always the same time I go to sleep. Today I sleep just seven hours, but feeling okay really. Seven hours was enough.

Q. Sleeping alone?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Come on. I have wife. Come on, come on. What do you want, two girls, three girls, four girls?

Q. You are a Russian.
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: I came Russian, but I'm not Safin (smiling).

Q. Five years in a row in the top five. Great continuity. Today is probably your best win ever. Do you still remember the bad times, two years ago, all the trouble you had with the ATP, all the stories? Is it something that you're happy about, nobody is talking about it anymore? What is your reaction to that? They were difficult times for you, no?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Because I'm really surprising how with this difficult time I made good result, you know? Because I really know it staying always in your mind, and you stay under pressure for the press, for the fans, for the people everywhere in the world. And everywhere, if I coming for tournament, press start to asking me about betting and everything stuff.
Every tournament what I played, it was very tough to play. I would like, you know, stop tennis for couple months, don't want to play. But really, I don't know, maybe I have good coach, my family really support me, give me, you know, chance, you know, just forget everything, really concentration just for the tennis, try forget very quickly everything.
That's was I did good result. I remember in America, US Open, semifinal, everything, come back. Maybe my Russian mental is very tough.

Q. Could you explain what was going through your mind when Roger pulled off the shot when you were serving at 4-5 in the third set, when you made the smash, he smashed it from the baseline? What were your thoughts at that moment?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Yeah, like I say after Love-30, I was thinking, Federer again lucky. In 12 times he beat me. Now again in this point. Yeah, I was thinking, Not again, please. Again I can lose 6-4 in the third set.
But winning, you know, first point, then again I come back better concentration. Then I start to be lucky.

End of FastScripts

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297