"The Russian has had a good start to this season with semi-final spots in Dubai and Doha - and over the past month has probably been the most consistent tour player"

The Russian has caused much controversy in recent months but now he looks to be putting all the media attention behind him and gunning for glory on the clay.
In 2007, Nikolay Davydenko was in big trouble. Although ranked in the world's top 10 and having no shortage of success, the betting scandal allegations from a tournament in Poland caused the Russian to be in the constant media spotlight for all the wrong reasons.

Allegations of match fixing from betting exchange Betfair made all the headlines - and the reputation of not only Davydenko but the whole of tennis was put in jeopardy.


Thankfully, for the good of the sport, things seem to be dying down in the media world and the cameras are focusing on actual on-court events rather than those off the court. The clay-court season is under way and Davydenko, still a free man, is starting to produce the sort of form which could make him a potential French Open winner in 2008.

There is no doubting he is a class player and even with all the burden of media upon him, he finally seems to be getting back to winning ways.

After failing to get past the second round in his first four attempts at Roland Garros, Davydenko has improved on the clay courts in Paris, reaching the quarter-finals in 2006 and semi-finals in 2005 and last year. He obviously now loves the French Open and looks to be improving, spelling danger for his opponents. He has beaten the likes of Carlos Moya, Guillermo Coria, Tommy Robredo and David Nalbandian in previous tournaments and only lost to Roger Federer in three tight sets last year.

The Russian has had a good start to this season with semi-final spots in Dubai and Doha earlier in the year and over the past month has probably been the most consistent tour player with a brilliant Masters Series victory in Miami, a finalist place on the Estoril clay and a semi-final birth at the Masters Series in Monte Carlo, beaten only by the clay-court maestro Rafael Nadal.

Davydenko is certainly in good form and I wouldn't put anything past the world No.4. Although he would have to be at his very best to defeat the phenomenal Nadal, he can cause the odd upset and had his first victory over the Spaniard in Miami only a month ago, albeit on faster hardcourts.

Although lots of people may disagree, Davydenko is good for tennis. Let him put all the attention behind him and concentrate on playing well. With good performances in the Italian Open next week and then Hamburg a week later, Davydenko could become one of the favourites for the Roland Garros tournament very quickly. And let's just hope he can challenge the dominance of Rafa!

(via sportingo.com)

Can Nikolay Davydenko challenge for the Paris title? You bet he can!