da Londra, Giorgio Spalluto – foto Getty Images
“Nessuno può battermi 17 volte di seguito” disse Vitas Gerulaitis dopo aver battuto Connors 7-5,6-2 nella semifinale del Masters del ‘79 al Madison Square Garden; l’indomani Borg regolò Gerulaitis come al solito, 6-2,6-2, e qualcuno fece pure lo spiritoso chiedendo a Vitas quand’è che avrebbe potuto pronunciare una frase analoga al termine di un match con Bjorn.
Trenta anni dopo la storia si ripete con Nikolay Davydenko, nei panni del povero Vitas, nato da genitori lituani emigrati in America, e stroncato dalla cocaina a 40 anni, al termine di una vita che potremmo definire eufemisticamente spericolata. Nikolay è emigrato dall’Ucraina alla vicina Russia, ed ha uno stile di vita tutt’altro che dissoluto. A quel bontempone di Gianni Clerici, che in conferenza stampa gli chiede con chi avesse condiviso le poche ore di sonno a disposizione, dopo la partita della notte precedente, “squallidone” (così come ebbe a definirlo una volta lo scriba) risponde ironicamente: “Dai. Sono un uomo sposato. Pensavi fossi con 3 o 4 donne? Il fatto che sia russo non significa che io sia Safin”.
Come Davydenko con Federer, Vitas Gerulaitis non era stato molto fortunato a esprimere il proprio miglior tennis in un momento in cui Bjorn Borg raccoglieva la fantastica serie delle cinque vittorie consecutive a Wimbledon. Cosa dovrebbe dire Nikolay, fermato per ben 12 volte prima dell’exploit odierno, da quello che dai più è ritenuto il più forte giocatore di sempre?
“No, non può farlo di nuovo. Ti prego. Non può essere di nuovo fortunato” questo il pensiero del numero 7 del mondo (che la prossima volta salirà in 6° posizione) a un passo dalla sconfitta, sul 5-4 0-30 per il suo avversario, poco dopo aver subito il passante smash, simile a quello messo a segno da Roger a Basilea contro Roddick. Sullo 0-30 lo svizzero prima sbaglia un dritto a sventaglio, poi mette lungo di pochissimo un’accelerazione di rovescio Nonostante una sola prima su 6 punti, Nikolay porta a casa il game del 5-5, il primo del set finale che non sia concluso a zero o a 15. Nel gioco successivo, si va per la prima volta ai vantaggi. Sulla prima palla break dal set d’apertura (perso 6-2 dallo svizzero che aveva ceduto 3 dei suoi 4 turni di battuta), Kolya mette a segno una risposta di rovescio vincente lungolinea che lascia di sasso il suo avversario. Sul 6-5, 30-0 il russo si fa rimontare e concede allo svizzero l’opportunità di rientrare del match con una palla del contro break. A differenza di altre occasioni, il russo non trema e porta a casa il punto, al termine di uno scambio a tutto braccio, chiuso con un fantastico dritto in diagonale che lascia sul posto, per la seconda volta in pochi istanti, il numero uno del mondo che si arrende 2 punti più tarsi ad un Davydenko incredulo che quasi non esulta.
Per Roger si tratta della prima sconfitta in una semifinale di un Master, dal 2002, quando a eliminarlo fu Hewitt, sempre per 7-5 al terzo. Per Davydenko è la seconda finale consecutiva, dopo quella raggiunta, non senza sorpresa, lo scorso anno a Shanghai, ai danni di un Murray spompato dall’ultimo match di round robin contro Federer.
Per lo svizzero l’ennesima delusione di un finale di stagione avaro di successi per un giocatore come lui, abituato a fare incetta di vittorie nella stagione indoor. In questo Master ha finito per pagare contro il russo l’ennesima partenza letargica. Lo svizzero, infatti, ha perso (e male) il primo set in tutti e 4 i match disputati. Una generosità a cui Davydenko non era abituato, visto che in nessuno dei 12 precedenti era riuscito a portare a casa il primo parziale. Per il russo, si tratta di una grande rivincita nei confronti di un mondo che spesso ha dimostrato di non apprezzarne a pieno le sue qualità. Ieri non aveva avuto peli sulla lingua, lamentando al termine del match vinto su Soderling, la scandalosa programmazione di questo Master, che avrebbe potuto condizionare di gran lunga la prestazione odierna.
Solo 2 anni or sono, proprio durante il Master, Davydenko era stato costretto a fare i conti con la bufera dello scandalo scommesse, in una vicenda che lo vide uscire indenne solo molti mesi più tardi. “Se sarà più facile trovare adesso uno sponsor per la mia racchetta? Il problema è saper giocare con queste racchette. Non trovare uno sponsor. Non so se potrei giocare come oggi con un altro attrezzo. A me interessa giocare come ho fatto oggi, non cercare di fare più soldi con gli sponsor”. Tremendamente pragmatico, ma sempre terribilmente efficace Nikolay, anche a parole.
© 2009 “Il Tennis Italiano” – Tutti i diritti riservati
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THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.
Q. Last year in Shanghai you couldn’t get to the semis. In any case, the match was played so quickly, can you explain what happened there? You usually never lose with Nikolay.
ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, not so far. So, sure, it’s disappointing. But not to lose against him; just to lose the semis. Coming so far in a tough group, in a tough tournament, I had hopes to get through to the final and maybe win again.
But I missed the start again, and I guess that’s what cost me the match at the end.
Q. You started very fast. I think you won the first seven points. What happened then? Was it concentration?
ROGER FEDERER: No, I think I picked sometimes wrong choice of shots, you know, right from the start, that let him sort of recover, not be a break down.
After that, I didn’t serve very well in the first set at all. So that gave him obviously opportunities to start to find his range from the baseline. So that was pretty much the story in the first set.
Second set, it was more a story of just trying to hang on, you know, get through to the third. As the match wore on, I actually started to feel better and better. I was starting to feel better, which made my life easier throughout the match. In the end, you know, indoors, you never know what can happen. It could swing either way. I was a couple of points away, but just couldn’t get it done.
He did well. I thought he played strong throughout, even though I don’t think it was our best match we ever played against each other. That wasn’t the greatest for quite some time.
Q. Everybody expected Davydenko would be tired after yesterday’s match. How would you estimate his game today? Was it just luck for him? He managed to beat you for the first time in his career.
ROGER FEDERER: Well, I didn’t think it was a particularly physical match. So that’s why I don’t think it had anything to do with fitness. We’re professional tennis players. We’re used to playing many matches in the same week. These are not best-of-five-set matches. Doesn’t usually come down to a lot of fitness. It’s just a long season. That means that you’re more maybe mentally fatigued for some.
But he missed quite a few months of the season early on, before. Really the season was sort of already into Miami and stuff before he started really playing. So I think he also has got some reserves left.
I had the same left, although I had also tough matches in my group. So for this reason I don’t think it was played on fitness, you know. I think we were both fresh. Niggling injuries we all have when we’re playing. It’s just how you handle them. I thought today he handled them well.
At times he did look a little bit sort of wrong-footed. Maybe he had some issues, but he’s definitely not going to tell them to you before the final, so don’t even bother asking him (smiling).
Q. Nikolay has finished top five in the world for the past four years. Do you think he gets the respect he deserves?
ROGER FEDERER: Well, I don’t know if you guys have. I have. I think it’s most important that he has respect from his fellow players. I think he didn’t have the easiest of last few years, you know, where people suspected him of doing bad things in the sport, you know. He had a cloud over his name for quite some time, which was not very fair at the end now. I think he handled it very well towards the end.
To be able to continue playing this well by being asked always the same stupid questions must not have been very easy for him. So I respect him not only for that, but obviously for the player he is. Proved it was worth hanging in there. He finally beat me today. I wish him all the best for the final.
Q. You talked about fatigue. Could it have been the other way: you haven’t played a whole heap of tennis since the US Open? Could that have been a factor today?
ROGER FEDERER: How do you mean? How should I be tired?
Q. I don’t mean tired.
ROGER FEDERER: You said ‘fatigued.’
Q. Not fatigued, going the other way.
ROGER FEDERER: Not enough matches?
Q. Exactly.
ROGER FEDERER: I had three here before. Three three-setters. No. I don’t know how to answer it. It’s just the wrong question. Sorry.
Q. The Davis Cup final? Do you think the Czech Republic has a better chance after Rafael Nadal and Verdasco looks like they’re out of form?
ROGER FEDERER: Out of form? Hmm. We’ll see in a couple of weeks, huh? For some reason, I just still favor the Spaniards, even if they don’t have Verdasco and Nadal, because they’ve got quite a few players out there in their arsenal.
Good luck anyway.
Q. We spoke yesterday already about your first sets here that were difficult. Another one today. Does it worry you at all or…
ROGER FEDERER: I tried everything to have a good start. I wasn’t able to do it again, so, sure, it’s disappointing. I guess the important thing is your serve works, you know. Maybe I just couldn’t get my serve working, you know, in the first set this week. On top of that, you know, played top guys. It’s just not easy.
But I think that definitely cost me maybe two out of the four matches, you know. You can’t turn around every single match against top guys because then you don’t have enough cushion anymore at the end. It’s a game of luck at the end. Not that this one was one. But things swing so quickly, you know, at this pace we play at. That’s why I think this is where I made my mistakes, just to hand him over the first set. It was a pity.
But looking at the bright side, I still had a great season. Looking how deep the game is right now. To finish on top for me is phenomenal. I don’t know, I try not to look at too much what I did wrong this week or what I did wrong today. This is my last press conference of the year, so I’m happy (smiling).
I had a good season, and I don’t have to answer any questions anymore.
Q. Have you spoken to Tiger Woods since his accident? How worried were you when you heard the news?
ROGER FEDERER: I haven’t spoken to him. And I heard it’s not too serious, which is a good thing.
Q. What do you say about Robin’s performance here, his progress during the last six months?
ROGER FEDERER: Well, he’s been very good, you know. I thought he played a great round robin. He’s still in the tournament. He’s got everything to play for. Sure, there’s no easy matches now in the semis. Against Del Potro, I thought he was playing really well. But still I give him an outside chance. You never know.
He’s definitely made his move now. I think next year is his year where he needs to prove himself even more, again and again. That’s how tennis works. I think he’s done exceptionally well. I think he can be proud of himself.
Q. Since it’s the last press conference the year…
ROGER FEDERER: And the last question, so this better be good (smiling).
Q. I’ll try my best.
ROGER FEDERER: You’re known for good questions, so I’m really excited (smiling).
Q. So what is the best moment of the year? Roland Garros? Was it the memory you will always remember of this year, 2009? What is the worst memory of the year, if there is any?
ROGER FEDERER: Well, the best one from a tennis standpoint was definitely, you know, winning I think sort of that combination of Paris and Wimbledon back to back, coming from so far back in so many matches in Paris. I think those are incredible moments in my career.
Worst moment, I don’t know. I mean, didn’t really have many. I always play at a very high level usually at the end of tournaments. When you go out, if it’s five sets or three sets or straight sets, I know I put in the best effort I could. And then you don’t walk away too disappointed.
I finished No. 1 in the world. So I don’t have many regrets.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you.
ROGER FEDERER: Pleasure. Anytime. Find me somewhere.
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.
