ATP Qatar Open Tennis – Federer Crashes Out as Nadal Forges Forth

There has been one early season surprise in the Qatar Open, and that is the fact that Roger Federer has not made it to the final. He was taken out of the competition by Russian Nikolay Davydenko, which the Russian hopes will become something of a new trend. When the two met in ATP World Tour Finals at the end of last year, Davydenko beat Federer, and that was something against the grain, as the Swiss Superstar Federer had won the previous 12 meetings between the two players. Now the Russian has gained the upper hand in consecutive matches, and should fill him full of confidence for the season ahead. In a closely contested semi final match, Davydenko squeezed through 6-4, 6-4 in what could be the start of a wonderful year for him. That is certainly a great way to start the first tournament of the year, and now he has to play underdog again in the final.

Spain’s Rafael Nadal is the other finalist awaiting him in Doha, and the start of the new season is just as important to him. Despite being hailed as one of the best players in the world, he hasn’t managed to win a single title for over eight months, and that will be bothering him. To his defence, he was struggling with injury through the second half of the season, but still missed his chance to claim some silverware in competitions. With Federer out of the way in this tournament, Nadal is looking good, and this will stamp an air of authority on his season. He was looking at something near his best form in the semi final, as he beat fifth seed Viktor Toicki 2-0. 

Just as Davydenko has turned the tables on Federer a little bit, he has also won the previous two match ups between himself and the former World Number One Nadal. They have won eight a piece, so there is everything to play for in the final. Nadal is looking for a season of dominance, while Davydenko looks to close the gap by beating the top two tennis players to win the title.

Qatar Open Final Outright Winner
Rafael Nadal to win: 8/11 at Stan James
Nikokay Davydenko to win: 6/5 at BetFred