Nikolay Davydenko - Playing Style

Playing Style

Davydenko employs an offensive baseline game, using deep and penetrating groundstrokes on both wings. His groundstrokes are technically efficient on both forehand and backhand. His tremendous footspeed and anticipation enables him to hit the ball early which catches opponents out of position and allows him to dictate the play, somewhat similar to former world no. 1 Andre Agassi. Davydenko's best shot is his backhand which he can hit down the line, cross court or with extreme angles. He is known for his running shots which he takes early and often turn into winners. His serve is technically correct and very consistent, even though it lacks the fire-power to become a serious weapon. Davydenko's style should make him a good player on any surface, however he has been most successful on hard and clay courts, as he is yet to make a significant breakthrough on grass.

Davydenko's main weaknesses are his volleys, and his occasional inability to close out matches. His volleys are not as consistent as his groundstrokes, though he does have one of the best swinging volleys on tour. Many tennis analysts have also criticised Davydenko for lacking variation in his game due to the fact that he mainly plays from the baseline with his consistent groundstrokes. In recent years, he has varied his game by employing the slice and moving into the net more often. Davydenko's difficulty closing matches has lost him numerous important matches after holding the lead. This was evident during the 2006 Tennis Masters Cup against James Blake and Rafael Nadal where he won the first set and had the lead in the second but lost. Against Roger Federer he blew a lead at the 2006 and 2010 Australian Opens as well as at the 2007 French Open. In the 2006 Australian Open, he had three set points in the third to go up 2 sets to 1, but lost the set and eventually the match.