Davydenko Loses Fight With Fitness

© Barclays Dubai Tennis ChampionshipsMichael Berrer reached his first ATP World Tour final at Zagreb earlier this month.

Berrer dismisses Russian and advances to last eight

Russian fourth seed Nikolay Davydenko was forced to retire after losing the first set of his second round clash with Michael Berrer at the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships on Wednesday.

The unseeded German had come out firing, smashing down four aces in the opening game and then breaking to lead 3-1 when he forced Davydenko to hit an awkward over-the-shoulder backhand that landed in the net.

Games then went with serve until a Davydenko return landed long and sealed the 6-3 set for Berrer, and Davydenko then retired with a pre-existing injury to his left wrist.

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"Yesterday after the match, I have like thinking okay, I felt pain but maybe I’d recover and have less pain," said Davydenko, who injured the wrist when he fell during a semi final in Marseille 10 days ago. "It was a little bit less during the warm up. I was, thinking maybe I’ll retire before the match, but I warming up and I was feeling okay.

"But in the match it's different. In the warm-up, you know, I need to return faster, like fast and play try to do something. Start to get swollen and have more pain. I was thinking about it, but too much for me, you know, get too risky now and better to retire. It's disappointing for me because I didn't recovery fast enough."

The German left-hander has been enjoying easily the best season of his career, with 10 wins so far. That surpassed his total of just five wins last year and eight in 2008, and he is now on track to beat his career-best year of 13 wins set in 2007. After reaching the Chennai quarter-finals in the opening week of the season he contested the final in Zagreb, where he fell to Marin Cilic.

Despite the manner of his victory, Berrer still thought victory was achievable.

"To be honest, yes," he said. "At the moment, I'm very self-confident. My way of playing, I think can hurt a lot of guys. So today I felt like I had a chance, and I was a little bit disappointed to be honest. But it's okay - I'll take it."

Sixth seed Marin Cilic had to battle to sew up victory over Austrian qualifier Stefan Koubek, eventually winning 6-2 7-6. The lanky Croat took control of the first set by winning five consecutive games to lead 5-1, but the second set was much more of a challenge.

Cilic broke no less than three times, for 1-0, 3-2 and 5-4, only for Koubek to break back in the next game each time. Koubek then came within two points of leveling at one set all when he led 6-5 and 30-0 on Cilic’s serve, and he then led 5-0 and 6-3 in the tiebreak before Cilic staged a huge fight back, saving three set points to take it 8-6.

Just one break of serve in each set was enough to take Austrian Jurgen Melzer into the quarter-finals as he defeated Tommy Robredo of Spain 6-3 7-5. A break for 2-0 settled the opening set and, after break point opportunities for both players in the second, a double-fault gave Melzer a decisive break for 6-5.

The Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships, which is held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai and owned and organised by Dubai Duty Free, continues until February 27th.