DAVYDENKO GIVES SHOCK TO FEDERER

DAVYDENKO GIVES SHOCK TO FEDERER

Roger Federer crashed out of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open at the semi-final stage today as he again came unstuck against Nikolay Davydenko. The Russian, who beat the world number one in their last meeting in the semis at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in London in November, triumphed 6-4 6-4 in one hour 20 minutes. Davydenko will play Rafael Nadal in the final after the Spaniard earlier made short work of Viktor Troicki. Federer faced 10 break points against the third seed as his serve let him down badly, his 55% of first serves paling in comparison to Davydenko's 79%. The Swiss saved seven of those break opportunities, including five in the first set, but managed just a solitary break of serve himself. World number two Nadal cruised to a 6-1 6-3 win over fifth-seeded SerbRoger Federer crashed out of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open at the semi-final stage today as he again came unstuck against Nikolay Davydenko.

The Russian, who beat the world number one in their last meeting in the semis at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in London in November, triumphed 6-4 6-4 in one hour 20 minutes.

Davydenko will play Rafael Nadal in the final after the Spaniard earlier made short work of Viktor Troicki.

Federer faced 10 break points against the third seed as his serve let him down badly, his 55% of first serves paling in comparison to Davydenko's 79%.

The Swiss saved seven of those break opportunities, including five in the first set, but managed just a solitary break of serve himself.

World number two Nadal cruised to a 6-1 6-3 win over fifth-seeded Serbian Troicki in one hour seven minutes.

The Spaniard converted three of his four break points in a one-sided opening set, winning an impressive 65% of points on Troicki's first serve.

Nadal set up four more break opportunities in the second set, taking two, as the Serbian again struggled to cope with the four-time French Open winner's powerful returns.

Troicki also claimed a late break of his own, but it merely delayed the inevitableian Troicki in one hour seven minutes. The Spaniard converted three of his four break points in a one-sided opening set, winning an impressive 65% of points on Troicki's first serve. Nadal set up four more break opportunities in the second set, taking two, as the Serbian again struggled to cope with the four-time French Open winner's powerful returns. Troicki also claimed a late break of his own, but it merely delayed the inevitable.