Davydenko, Safin Lead Russian Surge at ATP Moscow
Posted on October 9, 2006The Russians are out in full force this week at the Kremlin Cup in Moscow, with Nikolay Davydenko, Dmitry Tursunov and Mikhail Youzhny among the seeds, and Marat Safin leading the unseeded along with wildcards Teimuraz Gabashvili, Evgeny Korolev and Igor Kunitsyn.
Still injured is Russian Igor Andreev, who won last year's title with a victory over Nicolas Kiefer in the final.
Other seeded players in Moscow are Fernando "Hot Sauce" Verdasco, Filippo Volandri, Julien "United Colors of" Benneteau, and Frenchmen Fabrice "The Magician" Santoro and Paul-Henri Mathieu.
Safin, the last direct entry into the field, was granted an opportunity to go deep in the draw, opening against unheralded Frenchman Nicolas Mahut, then likely facing (4) Verdasco, then (8) Mathieu to move into the semifinals against (2) Tursunov. Safin has yet to claim the Kremlin Cup title during his career, with a Russian winning the title in seven of the last nine years.
The top-seeded Davydenko won the title in 2004.
Still injured is Russian Igor Andreev, who won last year's title with a victory over Nicolas Kiefer in the final.
Other seeded players in Moscow are Fernando "Hot Sauce" Verdasco, Filippo Volandri, Julien "United Colors of" Benneteau, and Frenchmen Fabrice "The Magician" Santoro and Paul-Henri Mathieu.
Safin, the last direct entry into the field, was granted an opportunity to go deep in the draw, opening against unheralded Frenchman Nicolas Mahut, then likely facing (4) Verdasco, then (8) Mathieu to move into the semifinals against (2) Tursunov. Safin has yet to claim the Kremlin Cup title during his career, with a Russian winning the title in seven of the last nine years.
The top-seeded Davydenko won the title in 2004.