Djokovic inflicts third defeat on Nadal but it's not enough to keep champion's title defence alive

Published on Friday 27 November 2009 22:51

NIKOLAY Davydenko claimed the final spot in the last four of the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals yesterday, and in the process ended defending champion Novak Djokovic's interest in the competition.

Davydenko beat Robin Soderling 7-6, 4-6, 6-3 in the last match of the round-robin stage of the competition to go through at the expense of Djokovic, who had earlier beaten Rafael Nadal 7-6, 6-3.

Soderling, Davydenko and Djokovic all finished level on two wins out of three from Group B, with Nadal last, having lost all three of his games. Soderling topped the group thanks to his superior sets-for-and-aganst record, and so plays Group A runner-up Juan Martin del Potro in this evening's second semi-final. World No 7 Davydenko meets top seed Roger Federer in the first semi this afternoon.

Like Andy Murray a day earlier, Djokovic claimed the victory he needed in his last match to keep his hopes alive. All he could do after that was wait – and like the Scot 24 hours previously, the wait ended in disappointment.

Soderling, who has been the surprise package of the tournament so far, played well in the first two sets against his Russian opponent, and was unfortunate to lose the first on the tiebreak. He had already ensured himself of a place in the semis by virtue of winning his previous two matches in straight sets, and when he took the second set to level with Davydenko that meant he was certain of topping the group.

With Davydenko needing to win to go through, it was perhaps inevitable that in the final set he looked hungrier, sharper and faster than the Swede.There was still not much in it, though, and of the two it is Soderling who is rated as having the better chance of reaching tomorrow's final.

Having said that, no-one who saw Thursday's match between Federer and Del Potro would complain if those two met again to decide the title. The Argentine was outstanding against the world No1, fighting back from within a point of elimination from the event to win in three sets and knock out Murray.

Nadal, who also lost his other two ties in straight sets, will now spend the next few days recuperating as he prepares for the Davis Cup final between Spain and the Czech Republic. He needed a medical timeout for treatment to his lower back in the second set of his match with Djokovic, and later admitted he had never felt at his best in the tournament.

"It's disappointing if you arrive here with the feeling that you have a big chance to win," when asked how he felt about losing his three matches. "But I didn't arrive here with that feeling.

"I knew before the tournament that (it was] going to be really tough, difficult. But I tried. Every day I tried my best.

"But that's tennis. I'm playing against the best players of the world. It wasn't enough on this surface, no?" Nadal has had injury problems, and in any case indoor hard court is not, as he hinted, his best surface. Once he gets back on clay for next weekend's Davis Cup match he believes he can get closer to recapturing his form.

"I am confident. I know it's going to be a difficult final. The change on clay is going be a big change. But that's a big motivation for me, finish the year winning. And I have the opportunity there, to play well, to play good tennis on clay, and to win, to win something important for my country and my friends.

"Win together, that's what we're going to try. I know it's going to be difficult, but we are confident. If we are playing well, we're going to have a good chance."

World No3 Djokovic has also been suffering from fatigue this week, and did well in the circumstances to win two of his matches. "I'm exhausted from the season," he said. "I think it's obvious on the court that I'm not moving."