Davydenko stuns Nadal to take Shanghai title

An inspired Nikolay Davydenko beat top seed and world number two Rafael Nadal 7-6 6-3 to become the first Shanghai Masters champion on Sunday. The sixth seed Russian blasted winners from both sides throughout the two-hour contest, winning a tight first set 7-3 in the tiebreak and then getting the only break of the second to secure his fourth title of the year. Spaniard Nadal, still short of his best form after the knee and abdominal injuries that have disrupted his season, battled gamely in his first final since May, but always looked second best against the gutsy Russian. Davydenko may not be the most exciting player in tennis, but he has finished in the top five in the world for the past four years and beat Nadal in two sets in their last meeting in a Masters series final, in Miami last year. The Russian's victory earned him 616,500 U.S. dollars and will greatly enhance his chances of securing one of the three remaining spots at the World Tour Finals in London in November, which would be his fifth straight appearance at the men's season finale.