DAVID NALBANDIAN LOOKS TO CONTINUE TORRID RUN AGAINST RAFAEL NADAL IN PARIS FINALE
Tennis-X.com, MI
Nov 4 2007
Two impressive runs will collide in Paris today as the championship
final of the BNP Paribas Masters takes place in the French capital.
World No. 2 Rafael Nadal will try to remain perfect in Paris, having
gone 21-0 at Roland Garros (winning it the last three years) and now
4-0 here (in his first attempt at this tournament).
David Nalbandian, currently ranked No. 21 but formerly the world’s
No. 3-ranked player, is trying to become the first player to beat
Roger Federer and Nadal at the same tournament twice while the pair
is ranked No. 1 and No. 2 (he achieved the feat en route to winning
his first ATP Masters Series shield in Madrid two weeks ago). Perhaps
fittingly, that was the first time Nalbandian and Nadal had ever
played, and the Argentine was a straight-sets winner. On Sunday,
he will chase his second ATP Masters Series title while Nadal will
seek his 10th (and fourth of the year).
NALBANDIAN FASTFACTS
Making third appearance here; fell second round in 2002 (l. to Safin)
and 2005 (l. to Haas);this year, d. Almagro, No. 14 seed Moya, top
seed Federer, No. 5 seed Ferrer and No. 10 seed Gasquet en route to
his second consecutive AMS final 2007 Highlights: W: AMS Madrid (d.
Federer); QF: Barcelona (l. Ferrer).
Comes into final of AMS Paris with 30-18 season record (22-10 on hard).
Made best performance of season two weeks ago at AMS Madrid, becoming
just second player since Becker at 1994 Stockholm to d. Top 3 players
at same tournament (d. No. 2 Nadal in quarterfinals, No. 3 Djokovic
in semifinals and No. 1 Federer in final, snapping a four-match
losing streak against the Swiss superstar); was first AMS shield;
the next week, rose from No. 25 to No. 18 in ATP Rankings but fell
first round at Basel (l. to Wawrinka).
Had reached just one quarterfinal in 15 tournaments going into
AMS Madrid, at Barcelona (d. Moya en route; l. to Ferrer); has won
back-to-back matches at six other events, however, reaching fourth
round at Australian Open (l. to Haas), AMS Indian Wells (l. to
Ljubicic) and Roland Garros (l. to Davydenko), and third rounds at
Wimbledon (l. to Baghdatis), AMS Canada (l. to Djokovic) and US Open
(l. to Ferrer in five sets after holding match point).
Is 3-0 against Top 2 players this year, beating Federer and Nadal
at AMS Madrid two weeks ago and Federer again this week; he is 8-11
lifetime against the Top 2, five of those victories coming against
Federer, one against Roddick, one against Hewitt and one against Nadal.
Comes from Cordoba, the second-largest city in Argentina; his Armenian
grandfather built a cement court in his backyard, where David learned
to play against his two older brothers.
Compiled outstanding junior results, winning 1998 US Open title
(d. Federer) and finishing runner-up at 1999 Roland Garros (l. to
Coria); won 1999 Wimbledon doubles title (w/Coria).
Biggest of six career ATP singles titles came at Tennis Masters Cup
in 2005 (l. to Federer in round robin portion but made it to final
anyway, then d. Federer in fifth set tie-break after coming back from
two-sets-to-love down) and AMS Madrid two weeks ago (d. Federer in
final); has seven career wins over Federer (is 8-8 lifetime against
the Swiss, which began as 5-0 but Federer has won eight of their last
11 matches).
NADAL FASTFACTS
Making tournament debut; after first round bye, d. unseeded players
Volandri, Wawrinka, Youzhny and Baghdatis in second round, third
round and quarters and semis, respectively 2007 Highlights: W: AMS
Indian Wells (d. Djokovic), AMS Monte-Carlo (d. Federer), Barcelona
(d. Canas), AMS Rome (d. Gonzalez), Roland Garros (d. Federer),
Stuttgart (d. Wawrinka); F: AMS Hamburg (l. Federer), Wimbledon
(l. Federer); SF: Chennai (l.
Malisse), AMS Canada (l. Djokovic); QF: Australian Open (l.
Gonzalez), Dubai (l. Youzhny), AMS Miami (l. Djokovic), Queen’s Club
(l. Mahut), AMS Madrid (l. Nalbandian).
Another incredible season from the 21-year-old Spaniard, maintaining
his World No. 2 status throughout (has not budged from the No. 2 spot
since first rising to it on July 25, 2005).
Comes into AMS Paris final 68-12 on the year (29-9 on hard), with
six titles in eight finals.
Best results have come on clay courts, going 31-1 (capturing five of
his six season titles at AMS Monte-Carlo, Barcelona, AMS Rome, Roland
Garros and Stuttgart; his only loss on the surface came to Federer in
Hamburg final, snapping a record 81-match clay court winning streak;
has won 93 of 94 clay court matches since April 2005); won Roland
Garros for third straight year, becoming first to do so since Bjorn
Borg won four in a row from 1978-1981.
His only non-clay court title this year came at AMS Indian Wells,
his fifth career hardcourt title and breaking a 12-tournament drought
(hadn’t won a title since 2006 Roland Garros).
Two-time runner-up, at Hamburg (l. to Federer; see above) and Wimbledon
(l. to Federer).
Two-time semifinalist, at Chennai (l. to Malisse) and AMS Canada
(l. to Djokovic).
Five-time quarterfinalist, incl. Australian Open (l. to Gonzalez in
first career quarterfinal at Australian Open, completing his full set
of career Grand Slam quarterfinal appearances) and AMS Miami (l. to
Djokovic just two weeks after beating him in AMS Indian Wells final).
Has fallen prior to quarterfinals only three times in now 19 events,
two of the losses caused by retirement (Sydney first round, AMS
Cincinnati second round) and the other defeat after winning three
rounds (falling to Ferrer in fourth round at US Open).
Has ranked No. 2 for a record 118 consecutive weeks (since July 25,
2005).
Has a 133-13 career record on clay (18 titles) and 97-37 mark on hard
courts (5 titles).
In 2006, became the first Spaniard to reach Wimbledon final since
Santana won it in 1966.
In 2005, won a teenage record 11 titles and became first teenager
to finish No. 2 since Boris Becker in 1986 and highest year-end ATP
Ranking ever by a Spaniard.
Has a sparkling 23-5 career record in finals (9-2 in ATP Masters
Series) with four of the losses coming to Federer (’05 Miami,
’06 Wimbledon, ’07 Hamburg, ’07 Wimbledon). (ATP Digital Services)
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