One and a half diggers

Problems with the squad did not prevent the Russians from defeating France on clay

The quarterfinal meeting between the Russian and French national teams on the clay of the Olimpiysky sports complex, ironically, became an exact repetition of the 2002 Davis Cup final. In the absence of then-leaders Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Marat Safin, who missed the match due to illness, the Russian team with a new lineup was able to demonstrate its best fighting qualities and win - 3:2. On Sunday, Nikolai Davydenko and Igor Andreev, having won two victories in a row, led the Russian team to the semi-finals of the Davis Cup.

Until this day, just like three years ago in Paris, the Russians lost to the “tricolors” - 1:2. The defeat of Igor Andreev from the leader of the French national team Richard Gasquet - 4:6, 3:6, 6:7 (1:7), and then the loss of the pair Andreev - Mikhail Youzhny from Arnaud Clement and Michel Llodre - 5:7, 4 :6, 7:6 (7:3), 2:6 actually deprived the Russians of the right to make mistakes in Sunday's meetings. And they didn't allow them. Nikolay Davydenko brought the only point to the hosts on Friday. In a difficult match for himself, he defeated Paul-Henri Mathieu - 7:5, 6:2, 7:5. “Confidence in my own abilities helped me win,” said Davydenko. “I knew I would win without even playing my best tennis.” Having honestly earned a day of respite, on Sunday in the first game Davydenko faced 19-year-old Richard Gasquet.

Until this moment, the tennis players had met only once - this year at the Masters tournament in Monte Carlo. Then the rising star of French tennis, Gasquet, also beat the Russian on clay - 6:4, 5:7, 2:6. This gave the Frenchman a certain psychological advantage, which, alas, he was unable to take advantage of. After the match with Davydenko, Gasquet said that he simply could not cope with the burden of responsibility that lay on his shoulders. “I understood that a lot would depend on the outcome of this fight, and no matter how hard I tried to change the course of the meeting, I could not do anything.”

Having given the first game to his opponent, Davydenko played with such pressure that even the strings on his racket seemed unable to withstand the intensity of the fight. In the first set and the beginning of the second, the Russian completely controlled the initiative. And only with the score 4:2 in the second set did he lose his vigilance and allow Gasquet to take four games in a row.

It is unknown what French captain Guy Forget said to his player during the break, because he managed to set him up for Friday's game, although Gasquet then complained of cramps in his leg, but the second set remained with the Frenchman - 6:4. Then the French tennis player could not do anything. Davydenko acted extremely prudently and competently, as evidenced by statistics. So, in the third set he made only two mistakes, while his opponent made mistakes much more often. In addition, the Russian found a weak point in the game of Gasquet, who was not very confident in his actions on the right. Having bet on this, Davydenko earned the most important point for the Russian team, winning with a score of 6:2, 4:6, 6:2, 6:1. “I am very pleased with the result of this meeting,” admitted Davydenko. “I’m glad that after a hand injury I was able to play so well.” And although Gasquet took risks, I was in complete control of the match, which predetermined its outcome. And I’m also very grateful to the fans. To come on Sunday, in such heat, and support your team like that is great.”

Despite the fact that the score of the match was equal - 2:2, the game was actually done. The hosts seized the psychological advantage. Igor Andreev, who was the last to enter the court, had to bring the defeat of the guests to its logical conclusion. And the second number of the Russian team did this brilliantly, thereby rehabilitating himself not only for two defeats in this cup match, but also taking revenge on Mathieu for his loss in the 2003 Kremlin Cup qualification.

Like Gasquet, after the match Mathieu admitted that he lost psychologically. Apparently, the mistake of French captain Guy Forget was to enter this particular tennis player for the last game, on which the outcome of the entire match depended. Remembering the Paris final, when Mathieu lost to Russian Mikhail Youzhny in a difficult five-set match, the Frenchman faltered this time too. Moreover, he lost even before he entered the court against Andreev. Proof of this is the fact that Mathieu actually gave up without a fight - 6:0, 6:2, 6:1. Now in the Davis Cup semi-finals the Russians will have to meet Croatia, which defeated the Romanians yesterday.

Olga ERMOLINA