WTFwatch: Davydenko qualifies, Verdasco sweats

 

Originally published on: 26/02/10 11:49

And then there was one. After seeing his fate briefly taken out of his own hands, Nikolay Davydenko has secured his place at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, with just one berth remaining.

Having earlier been knocked out of the BNP Paribas Masters 1000, the Russian was guaranteed his spot when Fernando Verdasco lost his third round encounter with Marin Cilic, making him the seventh qualifier for the eight-man season finale.

Robin Soderling has kept his own qualification hopes – and those of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Fernando Gonzalez – alive with a 6-3 3-6 6-4 victory over Davydenko, who would have sealed his berth with a win over the Swede.

Soderling must at reach the final in Paris to be in with any chance of qualifying for London and not be beaten by Fernando Gonzalez to overtake Verdasco and claim the year-end world No.8 ranking.

But Marin Cilic dealt Fernando Verdasco a 3-6 6-3 6-4 third-round loss which could spell the end of the Spaniard’s hopes for a place in the year-end final.

Having started the week in the last qualifying spot, the Spaniard’s fate is now out of his hands. He must await news on Soderling and Tsonga, who are through to the quarter-finals, and Gonzalez, who faces Juan Martin del Potro in his third round match.

Soderling, the No.9 seed in Paris, will face Novak Djokovic for a place in the semi-finals.

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