The Russian Brigade - The Fab Four under the spotlight

Players Under the Microscope / Editor / 14 August 2007 / Leave a Comment

Mandeep takes an in-depth look at the world of tennis

Davydenko

Nicknamed "The Robot" and often criticised for his pragmatic approach to tennis, the fact of the matter is this: the current world no. 5 is an excellent tennis player. His best surfaces are Clay and Indoors, something worth bearing in mind considering the hardcourt events leading up to the US Open. Davydenko has excellent groundstrokes and relies on timing rather than brute force to generate power. He often takes the ball early and utilises short angles (particularly on the backhand side) to outmanoeuvre his opponents.

Although his form has not been great of late, he may be one to keep an eye on in the next few weeks, assuming he is 100% fit. In the Rogers Cup last week, he lost to an in form Radek Stepanek, and struggled with the wind. A good strategy to bear in mind, is the playing conditions. If it is windy, he often struggles to get any rhythm into his game.

Safin

Marat Safin is truly the enigma of the tennis world. Any viewers of his 2005 Australian Open semi final against Roger Federer would have seen a player who has more talent than most. However he can often be mentally weak, and has struggled to motivate himself over the last few years. He has all the strokes in the book to beat any player on any surface. When playing players in the top ten, it is noticeable he appears to become disinterested if he loses the first set. His talent may well offer value in backing his opponents if such a scenario arises.

Youzhny

A vastly improving player on hardcourt surfaces, Mikhail Youzhny has had some fantastic results in 2007, including a notable win against Rafael Nadal at The Dubai Tennis Championships. An emotional player, Youzhny can often blow hot and cold. Early form in a tournament can be a good indicator of how he is likely to do against tougher opponents in the latter stages. A solid serve and forehand, Youznhy possesses a world class flat backhand, particularly ones blasted cross court!

Fear not when television pictures turn to his coach Boris Sobkin (who often has his head in his hands), the passionate way Youzhny plays his tennis often works in his favour. Look for a series of winners and momentum!

Tursunov

Yet another talented male player from Russia, Dmitri Tursunov is a player to be wary of. He has good, consistent groundstrokes, and a good solid serve. He should be around the world's top ten, but appears to suffer from a lack of focus and application. He has recently won in Indianapolis, but had an unexpected first round loss to Nicolas Kiefer at the Rogers Cup. This is a player I would be inclined to stay away from, as you never know which Tursunov will show up.

US Open Chances

The draw is always key to any player's prospective chances in a Grand Slam. Waiting until the draw has been made is often a prudent course of action. Youznhy memorably beat Nadal on his way to the semis last year. This feat was matched by his compatriot Davydenko who lost to Federer in 3 straight sets.

As for this year, I expect the same two to fare well, particularly if Youzhny can get on a roll. Although there may be more likely candidates to win the tournament, there may well be value in backing these players in the outright winners market, and laying off around the quarter final stage.