Russian Nikolay Davydenko boosted his chances in qualifying for the elite eight-man Barclays ATP World Tour Finals after defeating World number two Rafael Nadal to capture the Shanghai Masters title. The score was 7-6, 6-3
The win capped Davydenko’s successful Asian season, having won the inaugural Malaysian Open, Kuala Lumpur two weeks ago and reaching the quarterfinals at the China Open in Beijing.
“On the final day, last match, you want to give everything in this match, 100 per cent what you can do. And really I lost 5 finals and I won 17. That was my 18th ATP World Tour title. Now it’s really amazing. Really, in finals I play very well,” the Russian said after the match.
Meanwhile, Nadal expressed his disappointment for losing the match but stated that he’s happy for his opponent who he believes deserves the honor.
“I don’t like to lose, but I had my chances. He beat me. He played [a] very good match. Just congratulate him, because he deserved the victory. He did very well, and with this victory probably he’s closer to being in London,” he was quoted as saying.
Davydenko has qualified for the year-end championships for the past four years. Last year, he reached the finals but lost to Novak Djokovic.
