[DC]David Beats Davydenko to Give Argentina 1-0 Lead
http://www.daviscup.com/popup/mediagallery.asp?id=12382¤t=1548
↑圖。
David Nalbandian brushed aside a somewhat toothless challenge from Nikolay
Davydenko to give Argentina the first rubber in this Davis Cup by BNP Paribas
quarterfinal between Argentina and Russia. The straight-sets victory was
completed 62 62 75 in two hours twenty-two minutes, and if it wasn’t as
one-sided as the scoreline suggests, it wasn’t far off either.
Davydenko simply had no answer to Nalbandian’s depth, pace and consistency,
and the match settled into a pattern that became all too predictable for
Russian fans: long rallies in which Davydenko would eventually break down,
either spraying a groundstroke long or wide, or netting rather tamely.
The conditions here are certainly not for those who are mentally fragile. The
stadium, a temporary affair of scaffolding and wood, nestles in the corner of
the grounds of the Club Atletico River Plate. The River Plate football stadium
looms large next to the court, while 8 lanes of traffic thunder along metres
from the stand at one end. Add to that the railway lines in the middle of the
highway – the train drivers like to sound their horn as they pass – and the
fact that planes thunder into Jorge Newberry airport seemingly within touching
distance of spectators in the upper rows, and it’s clear that immense
concentration is needed by the players. In many ways it’s a smaller, South
American version of Flushing Meadows.
And of course all that is before you take the capacity and partisan Argentine
crowd into account, who are spurred into passionate chants of ‘Argentina,
Argentina!’ every time the small contingent of Russian fans blast their horns.
In any case, Nalbandian played like a man who didn’t need the help of the fans
or outside distractions to win today. He broke in the very first game to set
the tone for the match, Davydenko’s missed backhand on the second break point
a telling sign of what was to come.
After surviving a break point in his first service game, Nalbandian took
control of the set and quikly found himself 4-1 up. He saved another breakpoint
before holding for 5-1, and then closed out the set 6-2, another backhand
sailing wide from Davydenko on the second set point.
There was no let up for the Russian in the second set, as he was forced to save
yet another break point in the first game. But he couldn’t hold back the tide,
and after 5 deuces in his next service game he finally gave away the break.
Nalbandian consolidated, broke again at 4-2, and finished off the set – after
a short break for a rain shower - to go 2-0 up.
By now the match was being played under leaden skies and persistent light rain;
Russian spirits didn’t need any more dampening. Nalbandian was 3-0 up before
the next heavier shower forced another break; and 4-1 when the heavens really
opened to stop play yet again, this time for longer.When play resumed after a
break of about an hour, with both players sporting a fresh shirt complete with
Team Identification, games went with serve until Nalbandian served for the
match at 5-2. A loose game on his part allowed Davydenko a glimmer of hope,
which he strengthened by holding for 4-5.
Another poor game from the Argentine at 5-4 and suddenly the set was level at
5 all; perhaps the rain had not been merely a delay to a 1-0 lead for the home
team. Davydenko, seemingly fortified by his opponent’s apparent nervousness
and erratic play, was starting to hit the ball with more authority.
And yet it still wasn’t to be for the Russian; Nalbandian managed to break
for 6-5, despite playing tentatively, and at the third time of asking he served
out for the match. His restrained celebration as a desperate lob from Davydenko
landed beyond the baseline spoke clearly of relief that he had survived the
Russian’s comeback.
Yevgeny Kafelnikov must now try to even things up for Russia as he takes on
Gaston Gaudio.
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事實證明老卡無力回天，不過我們相信明天會更好啦！
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