Nikolay Davydenko improved to 2-12 against world number one Roger Federer after he defeated the Swiss star in the semifinal of the Qatar Open. The score: 6-4, 6-4.
The sixth-ranked player defeated Federer for the first time after 13 meetings. The win took place at the season-ending ATP World Tour Finals in London in November where he went on to win the title.
“He tried to create pressure but I came up with winners when I wanted to. I ran a lot and that made me tired, especially in the second set. But I fought for every point,” the Russian said.
The upset win prevented a highly anticipated showdown between Federer and world number two Rafael Nadal. The Spaniard beat Viktor Troicki of Serbia 6-1, 6-3.
“I think it will be a tough match because I have watched Rafa play. He is playing good tennis at the moment. He can play for 10 hours, I can’t. The fans will get to watch a good match,” Davydenko said. Both players have each won four time in head to head matches.
