Davydenko outwits Safin for Kremlin Cup title

MOSCOW: Top seed Nikolay Davydenko beat Russian compatriot and two-time Grand Slam winner Marat Safin on Sunday to take the Kremlin Cup title.   

With the 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 win Davydenko clinched his ninth career title and fourth of the season while also levelling his head-to-head record with Safin at two wins all.   

"I'm glad to win at home," Davydenko said. "I lost two of my previous meetings with Marat (Safin) on hardcourts but today I was stronger."   

The 25-year-old Monte Carlo resident was slightly more accurate from the outset, breaking the former world number one's serve halfway into the opening set.   

Safin, whose last final appearance was in Halle in June 2005 before a knee injury sent his career into a tailspin, broke back immediately to level at three games all.   

But Davydenko, 2004 champion here, broke again to take the opening set in 41 minute. No big serves were produced in the second set until the 12th game, when Safin broke to level at one set all after one hour 31 minutes on court.   

Davydenko, currently fifth in the ATP race, broke twice from the start in the deciding set to a comfortable 3-0 lead before Safin chalked up his first point in the set also with a break.   

However, Davydenko managed to keep his advantage through to win the set and the match in two hours 19 minutes. The winner received a silver trophy by Cartier and 142,000 dollars, while Safin pocketed 83,600 dollars.