Abu Dhabi: Nikolay Davydenko will be keen to start the New Year in the same vein he has reached the fag end of 2009 after recording his first ever win over world No 1 Roger Federer and then going on to win the year-ending Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in London.
Davydenko, currently ranked sixth in the world, takes on 17th-ranked David Ferrer in the Capitala World Tennis Championship starting tomorrow.
Speaking to Gulf News, the Russian said, "I really enjoyed my experience at last year's Capitala World Tennis Championship. The fans were very supportive and the event was very well run. I am looking forward to this year's event."
Davydenko touched peak form in the year-ending ATP World Tour Finals in London and after having beaten all the other top ten ranked players in the world finally got one better on Roger Federer with a 6-2 4-6 7-5 win. In the final, he accounted for Juan Martin del Potro to ensure that the year would end on a high,
Commenting on that win Davydenko said, "Winning the year-end title is certainly a confidence-builder. I think I played some of my best tennis during the second half of the season, and hopefully I can carry that success into the start of 2010."
Looking to improve
Davydenko said that even as he spent his Christmas with his family he continue to work with his brother Eduard and his fitness trainer Alexander Kasantsev.
"As a professional player you always want to win every event you enter. But that is unrealistic. What's important is trying to improve every match. If you continue to improve as the year progresses then the wins will take care of themselves," the world number six said looking ahead at 2010.
Though exonerated in the match-fixing controversy, Davydenko has had some very tough years off the court, but the low-profile star said he just kept focusing on the game.
"As a professional athlete you always have the spotlight on you. It is important to stay focused on those things that you can control," he said reflecting a quality which drew praise from Federer himself after he was beaten in London last month.
"He [Davydenko] didn't have the easiest of last few years, where people suspected him of doing bad things in the sport. He had a cloud over his name for quite some time, which was not very fair at the end now," Federer said.
"He handled it very well. To be able to continue playing this well … must not have been very easy for him. So I respect him not only for that, but obviously for the player he is," said Federer, who is in the other half of the six-man Capitala event.
No extra pressure
One of the most consistent players in world tennis, Davydenko said the recent success will not put any extra pressure on him. "I don't feel any added pressure. Again, it is all about trying to play your best tennis every match," he said.
If Davydenko wins his opener against David Ferrer tomorrow, he plays world number two Rafael Nadal on New Year's day.
The Russian said he will be heading to Doha for the Qatar ExxonMobile Open which kick starts his ATP Tour and said, "I go into every year looking to play my best tennis every match, and to hopefully continue to improve my game."
