|
Davydenko
exits Paris Masters, Murray advances
PARIS—Troubled Nikolay Davydenko, his serve gone missing, hopes to limp
into next weekend’s start of the season-ending Masters Cup in Shanghai
despite carrying an elbow injury which refuses to heal.
The fourth seed and defending champion complained of muscle fatigue due
to his injury and his inability to serve after crashing out 6-2, 6-2 to
Marcos Baghdatis on Thursday at the Paris Masters. Britain’s Andy Murray
meanwhile took a step closer to qualifying for the season ending event
in China after beating Frenchman Fabrice Santoro 6-4, 6-2.
Davydenko, under a corruption cloud after a suspicious match pullout in
July and fined for not trying hard enough last month indoors in Europe,
has an even bigger problem on his mind - his missing delivery. The
Russian double-fauled an amazing ten times and lost his serve five times
as he fought to avoid a third round exit from the Bercy arena. Baghdatis
remains an outside chance for the season-ending event starting a week
from Sunday after his victory, which gives him a Paris quarter-final
against one of two higher-placed fellow contenders in Tommy Robredo or
Guillermo Canas.
Davydenko said the elbow injury he has carried since the Moscow event is
seriously plaguing his game. “I cannot serve, I make so many double
faults and my elbow is still recovering,” he complained. “I don’t really
have pain in the elbow, I need to find the reason why I can’t serve.”
Davydenko said he has been taking daily treatment for the injury, which
forced him to pull out of the Madrid Masters just over a fortnight ago.
“I feel I can play, but the muscles grow tired, very tired. My elbow
feels heavy and I have no feeling for the ball.”
Baghdatis, the 2006 Australian Open finalist, stands a distant 18th in
the race to the eight-man season wrapup in Asia. But with the last two
remaining positions in the field to be decided by Sunday’s Paris final,
his hopes remain alive. “Nothing is impossible,” said the smiling
Cypriot. “I’m playing well. I try only to be positive”.—Agencies |
