Nikolay Davydenko

Former World No. 3 Nikolay Davydenko set up a third-round meeting with Almagro after closing out a 6-2, 7-6(11) win over Frenchman Edouard Roger-Vasselin in one hour and 48 minutes. Almagro would break into the Top 10 for the first time with a victory Thursday.

Former World No. 3 Nikolay Davydenko rounded out the day’s action by notching his first clay-court win of the season with a 6-4, 7-6(6) victory over Ukrainian Alexandr Dolgopolov. Since reaching the Doha final in the first week of the season, Davydenko had won just two matches in seven tournaments before dispatching the No. 10-seeded Dolgopolov with three breaks of serve one hour and 39 minutes.

Davydenko will fall from 25 down to 34. It`s the lowest rank Davydenko as been since he climbed the rankings back in 2004.

Davydenko finally makes racquet switch to Dunlop

Nikolay Davydenko has begun playing with a Dunlop racquet, having made the switch after the U.S. Open.

Davydenko signed an equipment contract with Dunlop in March but had earlier continued to play with a Prince racquet.

After losing in the first round of Kuala Lumpur, he reached the quarterfinals in Beijing last week, only the second time he has won two matches in a row since returning from a wrist injury in June.

"I just change racquet, and it's my second tournament and really start from zero," he said at Beijing. "Mentally, for sure, different feeling, and need to maybe play differently. But I run the same, fast, and just need to control."

Davydenko has significant ranking points to defend this fall, having won the Shanghai Masters and World Tour Finals in London last year. But the Russian said he was not feeling the pressure ahead of his title defence in Shanghai.

"Not so much," he said. "You always have pressure if you feel you can qualify for the Masters London... Really for me is different situation. I know I will not qualify for London this year. Just enjoying now my last couple tournaments what I play this year and take rest before preparation for the next season in December."

http://www.crunchsports.com/category/Tennis/Nikolay-Davydenko--On-the-verge-of-a-major-drop-in-rankings-2010092300111/

Nikolay Davydenko is reported to not be working with his coach/brother Eduardo Davydenko anymore.
Eduardo was helping Nikolay on a week to week basis.

Eduardo at present is focusing more on his 17 year old son Philip and coaching him to become a professional player.
Nikolay needs a fulltime professional coach and Eduardo was just unable to commit.

Source: tennis times.

Davydenko confirmed he will play the upcoming Davis Cup quarter-final against the Argentines;

"Yeah, I will play. We have good team – not bad. I think we need preparation also after grass court, but I hope we be everything okay. I hope give me more confidence after Wimbledon coming to Davis Cup and play five set matches.", said the top-ranked Russian.

He hasn't played DC for two years, but is happy that coach Tarpischev has once again selected Moscow's Olympic Stadium as the choice of indoor location. They'll lay the hard court in the next couple of weeks.

More from Davydenko after his defeat of Greul:

"After three months out, it was hard to come back. Training is nothing like matches, and I was so tired out there - my legs were so heavy. But after winning the tiebreak, I was less nervous and just got better and better. I am slowly getting my self-confidence back and I still hope to get back to the highest level."

The Russian admitted he had been advised not to play in Halle since his wrist was not fully healed, but he did not want to be on the sidelines any longer.

Davydenko: "I was not ready for Paris because I could still feel pain and it would have been hard to come back in a five-set match."
"I felt my recovery was going so slow so I decided to take a risk and come to Halle. It was my decision. I don't feel any pain anymore and, after training for four days, I feel my wrist is now holding."

I suggest caution with Davydenko on the basis that he's come back early to the Tour despite medical advice.

Davydenko after beating Greul:

"I was completely nervous to start with. I had to get back into the swing of things after my injury break."

"It was a tough game for me. The longer an injury absence endures, the harder it is to come back. I am happy to be able to play here in Germany again."

Good news on the injured player front at last - Davydenko is back.
He's entered Halle.

Davyddenko: "I've never practiced as much as I am at the moment, and I came back being stronger than before when returning from injuries in the past. I'm already hitting my backhand 60 to 70 per cent."

"I need match practice and I will get this on the grass courts at the Gerry Weber Open."