Australian Open 2012 live stream

Remember that scene from Scarface when Al Pacino snarls, “Say hello to my little friend!”

bet365 is live streaming all Australian Open 2010 games - Go to bet365 > Live Streaming > Tennis to watch a live stream

Well, replace Pacino with Fernando Verdasco and an enormous automatic weapon with a forehand and you’ve got a fair idea of how today’s match between the Spaniard and Russian Nikolay Davydenko played out.

Verdasco’s forehand is one of the biggest weapons in the men’s game, and the Spaniard wields it with more authority than an over-zealous parking inspector with a ticket book.

But despite having such a lethal weapon in his armoury, Verdasco was eventually outgunned by everywhere man Davydenko at Rod Laver Arena on Monday in a tough five-setter, 6-2 7-5 4-6 6-7(5) 6-3.

Verdasco started aggressively, smacking winners almost at will as Davydenko raced from corner to corner like someone doing a beep test.

The two are advocates of contrasting styles – Verdasco the consummate playmaker, while Davydenko the designated retriever.

Early on, Davydenko realised that he had to keep the ball on Verdasco’s backhand side or he would be spending the match ducking for cover.

Once Davydenko started to play more balls to Verdasco’s weaker side, the pressure subsided as he secured two break points. A Verdasco double fault handed the break to Davydenko, who took a 3-2 lead.

After another break in the seventh game for Davydenko, the opening set was his 6-2.

Verdasco began the second set strongly, breaking Davydenko in the second game only for the Russian to break back in the next game.

Both players had their chances in the second set, but it was Davydenko who snatched the lead in the 11th game and then the set, 7-5.

Throughout the match, Verdasco’s serving switched between being the thorn in his side to the ace up his sleeve. But 20 double faults for the match were simply too many from the world No.9.

Verdasco, down two sets and with nothing to lose, came out firing in the third set. Big serves and a return to the booming forehands down the line revived the crowd and Verdasco’s support staff.

So the ‘Surgeon of Volgograd’ responded the only way he knows how – with cold hard precision.

Davydenko may not hit the fur off the ball, but he expertly places it on the court like a chess master dominating a novice.

But the third set belonged to Verdasco. He broke the sixth seed in the fourth game, only for Davydenko to break back in the seventh.
 
Leading 5-4, Davydenko hit one of his five double faults for the match at a crucial stage, handing Verdasco set point. A long forehand from Davydenko is all that was needed to send the match to a fourth set.

An arm wrestle ensued in the fourth as both players refused to give an inch. But in the eighth game, Verdasco broke Davydenko to take a commanding 5-3 lead as he pulled out his signature ‘stopping traffic’ move.

But Davydenko wasn’t about to give in just yet. The Russian broke back in the ninth game despite a big forehand winner from Verdasco that left Davydenko wrong-footed as the ball sailed by.
 
Both players held serve from here on in as the set culminated in a tie-breaker.

Davydenko built himself a 5-3 lead and looked to have the match under control. Verdasco then reeled off four straight points to win the tiebreaker 7-5 and force the match to a fifth and final set.

Having played each other seven times before today’s match (Davydenko leading 6-1), both had a fair idea of what to expect from the other. But until today, they had never played at a Grand Slam – this would be their first five-set match against one other.

Verdasco had his chances in the opening game of the final set, but Davydenko was at his lightning-quick best to save three break point chances as he chased down balls that would have been winners against lesser players.

Games stayed on serve until the sixth game, when Davydenko found the break he had been so furiously searching for to take a 4-2 lead and, not long after, the set 6-3.

“It's very difficult to come back always when the match is like this,” explained Verdasco after the match.

“But you don't need to think about that. If you think that, you have even more difficult situation. You must just try to keep playing and don't think ... that you were two sets to love [down].

As for Davydenko, he said he was happy with the outcome, but physically he was exhausted.
“I really tired, yes. Was difficult play against him, because if you see all match, he was serving fast, play fast. I think make so many winners like from forehand,” said Davydenko
“He's strong physically, but not mentally ... I know he have power in the fifth set, but he can make mistake.”

Now Davydenko will prepare to meet the winner out of Monday night’s blockbuster fourth-round match between world No.1 Roger Federer and Australia’s Lleyton Hewitt.

Going into the match, Davydenko says that if he plays Federer he will be the underdog, but he’s ready.

“I believe I am still strong mentally. I don't know if I can win here, but tennis I try be good now, you know, feeling good.”

And if Davydenko can get past Federer, no doubt the interest in the Russian sixth seed will rise even more, something that he still doesn’t quite understand.

“Just I don't know what has change. Why you come now and you asking me some private questions? I don't know. It's you. You need to ask yourself why you come here.”

Fast facts
- Verdasco served 15 aces to Davydenko’s six, but 20 double faults to his opponent’s five.

- Davydenko had 51 unforced errors, 30 fewer than the Spaniard.

- Verdasco came to the net 18 times, winning 12 of those points, while Davydenko was 25-for-37 (68 per cent) on net approaches.