ATP KREMLIN CUP

Davydenko Speeds Into Quarterfinals; Faces Safin Next

Top seed and two-time defending champion Nikolay Davydenko (pictured) wasted no time in booking his quarterfinal spot at the ATP Kremlin Cup on Thursday, knocking out Spaniard Guillermo Garcia Lopez 6-1, 6-1 in just 55 minutes.
The Russian, who converted five of 10 break points and only dropped three points behind his first serve, is bidding for his fourth title in Moscow. The Volgograd resident has a 17-2 tournament record, including titles in 2004 (d. Rusedski), ’06 (d. Safin) and last year (d. Mathieu).

The only player to have won three or more consecutive titles in the Russian capital is Yevgeny Kafelnikov, who reigned from 1997-2001
The 27-year-old Davydenko is closing in on one of the four remaining berths at Tennis Masters Cup Shanghai; he started the week at No. 5 in the ATP 2008 Race, with 417 points. The 5’10’’ right-hander has qualified for the circuit finale the past three years and was a semifinalist on debut in 2005 (l. to Nalbandian).
Davydenko is just one win shy of his 50th match win of the season after improving to a 49-16 record with the second round victory. He has titled three times at the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami (d. Nadal), Poertschach (d. Monaco) and Warsaw (d. Robredo), and finished runner-up at Estoril (ret. vs. Federer).
In the quarterfinals, Davydenko will face seventh-seeded compatriot Marat Safin, who recovered from dropping the second set 6-0 to prevail 6-4, 0-6, 6-2 against Frenchman Julian Benneteau.
Davydenko and Safin have met six times previously at ATP level, with Davydenko winning their past four encounters to lead the head-to-head 4-2.
Davydenko vs. Safin: Head-to-Head
The 28-year-old Safin is making his 11th appearance in his home-town tournament and reached the final in 2006, when he lost to Davydenko – it was his last appearance in an ATP final.
The former World No. 1 (pictured right), currently No. 40, recorded his 400th ATP victory (401-241 record) with his first round win over Noam Okun, which places him eighth among active players. The right-hander stands at 21-21 on the season, highlighted by a run to the Wimbledon semifinals (d. Djokovic, l. to Federer) and quarterfinal exits at Munich (l. to Gonzalez) and Los Angeles (l. to Gremelmayr).
Viktor Troicki prevailed in an all-Serbian clash against Janko Tipsarevic, defeating the No. 8 seed 6-3, 6-4 to reach his fourth ATP quarterfinal of the season.
Currently enjoying a career-high South African Airways ATP Ranking of No. 60 after reaching the Tokyo quarterfinals last week (l. to Roddick), Belgrade native Troicki reached his maiden ATP final at Washington (d. No. 9 Roddick, l. to del Potro) in August, and was a quarterfinalist in June at ‘s-Hertogenbosch (l. to Canas).
Troicki now will face German Mischa Zverev, who edged out Russian Teimuraz Gabashvili 6-2, 2-6, 6-1. The World No. 98 is through to his first ATP quarterfinal since New Haven (l. to Verdasco).
Igor Kunitsyn is the third Russian to reach the quarterfinals after breaking serve four times in dismissing American Robby Ginepri 6-4, 6-3. Ranked a career-high No. 71, Kunitsyn improved to 11-13 on the season as he reached his fifth ATP quarterfinal (or better). The 27-year-old reached the Moscow semifinals in 2005 (l. to Kiefer) and ’06 (l. to Safin) and made a quarterfinal exit in ’04 (l. to Hrbaty). He next will face Frenchman Jeremy Chardy.
French fourth seed Paul-Henri Mathieu completed the quarterfinal line-up with a hard-fought 6-7(3), 7-5, 7-6(0) victory over Beijing finalist Dudi Sela. Last week’s Metz runner-up (l. to Tursunov) has a strong 14-3 record in Moscow, highlighted by capturing the title on his debut in 2002, finishing runner-up last season (l. to Davydenko) and making a semifinal exit in 2003 (l. to Dent).

Info and photo from ATP