Tennis News
The talented Russian, acknowledged to be one of the swiftest players on the ATP World Tour, has changed his normal playing schedule so that he can prepare in the best possible way for his bid to lift the trophy at what is universally acknowledged to be the premier tennis event in the Middle East.
"Before, I've always played Rotterdam and then come straight to Dubai," he said. "But this time I have one week off and have time to prepare outdoors in the hope that I have sufficient time to reach a good level."
Davydenko missed the tournament last year because of injury, but on his last visit in 2008 he beat Andy Murray in the quarter-finals before losing a tough three-setter to Feliciano Lopez. When the Russian recovered from injury last season, he captured five ATP World Tour titles in a season for the second time in his career, climaxing with his biggest career title at the year-ending Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in London when he defeated US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro.
Just a couple of main draw matches took place in Paris with 8th seed Elena Vesnina coasting into the second round with a 6-1, 6-4 win over Alexandra Dulgheru of Romania. Joining Vesnina in round 2 was Hungarian Agnes Szavay who was up a set against Olga Govortsova before the young Belarusian retired due to a viral.
The region's leading tennis event not only offers an incredible $4 million in prize money but almost every top player in the world, so both know they will have to once again overcome the best there is if they are to repeat their 2009 successes.
Robert, ranked an even 100 in the ATP Tour rankings, is playing the best tennis of his life at the prime young age of 29. Competing in his first ever ATP final, the Frenchman showed no signs of nerves as he hung in under severe examination from the left-handed Lopez to stay on serve in the opening set. Robert's luck ran out in the final game of the first set as Lopez broke him a 5-6 to take a 1-0 lead.
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