David Nalbandian is an experienced player. Turning pro in 2000 and now 30 years old he is a veteran of the tennis world. He has a range of titles under his belt; Washington, Sydney, Paris and the ATP Championships to name a few and he also secured a career high ranking of number 3 in 2006. For someone of his proficiency and expertise, no one could have predicted his rage induced actions during the final of the AEGON Championships which are under investigation as assault.
Throughout the AEGON, Nalbandian was playing sublimely and advancing through the rounds with ease. The tournament saw him contend with Pospisil, Bemelmans, Roger-Vasselin, Malisse and finally Grigor Dimitrov in the semi-finals who he defeated in straight sets to take him into the final to face Marin Cilic.
The final began in Nalbandian’s favour, and after a tough and feisty battle, he took the first set 7-6. The second set continued neck and neck with both players defending their serves admirably it looked to be a fight to the bitter end. This was until Cilic managed to break the Argentinian’s serve in the 7th game of the second set. Nalbandian, who could not contain his frustration at his personal performance lashed out; booting an advertisement which a line judge was perched on top of. To the line judge, crowds’ and Nalbandian’s horror the advertisement flew into the line judge’s leg causing him to severely bleed from a long gash on his shin. After much confusion, speculation and bewilderment it was decided Nalbandian was to be disqualified, a desperate and disappointing end to what was in the making of an enthralling final.
Not only has Nalbandian lost his $56,000 prize money, he has also lost his dignity. The Argentinian was full of remorse for his actions, but he has severely dented his reputation, and from a round one loss at Wimbledon, his confidence appears to have also taken a knock.
This year’s Queen’s Club tournament in London has been filled with bizarre results and strange occurrences, but the manner in which the final ended surely tops the list. The match between 6th seed Marin Cilic and 10th seed David Nalbandian began normally enough, the closely fought first set seeing Nalbandian playing marginally the better tennis.
The Argentine duly took the first set on a tie break, making his tie break tally 4-1 against Cilic over their careers. Marin managed to force a break of serve in the second set, which his opponent was clearly frustrated to give away. And then with the score at 3-4 to Cilic, Nalbandian suffered a moment of absolute madness which lost him the match and with it the championship.
Cilic had just hit an excellent winner on a break point, and started to make his way to his chair for the change of ends. But as he was doing so, Nalbandian kicked out viciously at the advertising board positioned directly in front of the baseline line judge. The board was only centimetres in front of the match official Andrew McDougall’s seat, and the board caught him in the leg, opening up a sizeable gash. McDougall reacted angrily, clearly stunned by the Argentine’s actions, and had to sit on the floor as a colleague supplied him with a tissue to stem the bleeding.
The umpire immediately discussed the situation with ATP supervisor Tom Barnes, and decided that the only course of action available to them was to disqualify Nalbandian, meaning he forfeited the match and with it the chance the win the Queen’s title. The rule here is clear – if an official of any kind is injured by a player in anger then that player forfeits the match. The crowd, many of whom could not see the injury clearly were angry that their spectacle was ending prematurely and began booing the umpire, but the deed was done, and Cilic collected the cup in circumstances other than those he was expecting.
Thirty year old Argentinean Nalbandian who is currently ranked 40 in the world still believes he can return to the top 10 in the world. The old world number three has seen his rankings slide since losing in the French open semi finals back in 2006. Although Nalbandian has failed to deliver in grand slam tournaments for some time, he still believes he has the game to return to the top.
2012 has proved a solid year for the Argentinean who despite only reaching one semi-final this year has earned himself a number of big wins against world top 15 opponents such as Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Juan Monaco, Gilles Simon and came close at Indian Wells to defeated world number two Rafa Nadal. After a strong performance at the Serbia Open the world number 40 seems to be playing some good tennis and recapturing some form from earlier in his career.
In many people’s opinion Nalbandian is one of the greatest player to never have secured a Grand Slam trophy. The ex world number three has suffered with chronic inconsistency. From game to game the quality ball hitter can turn from world beater to novice in the same tournament. A return to the top ten is not out of the question. Clearly the quality is still there, however the issues are his health and motivation which has always been a concern with the quality baseline hitter. At 30 he still has some miles left in him and if he can put together a string of good performances and perhaps with some luck, he could quite easily return to the top end of the sport. An unsuccessful return to the French Open this year has not helped him, this feat is not beyond him yet.
David Pablo Nalbandian who is also famously known as David Nalbandian was born in the year 1982 and is also one of the few Argentina players. David Nalbandian is former world number 3 and he also holds the record of being the runner up in the 2002 Wimbledon Championship. Alongside with that he also holds the record of being the winner of the Tennis Masters Cup in the year 2005.
David Nalbandian did not have a very bright career. Not only did he not have a bright career, he also did not have a very happening career. Many did not know him in the tennis circuit as he did not play many games and was in the background. In the year 2010 he came back after several injuries to play and participate in the 2010 Copa Telmex which is coincidentally his home town tournament. He won the first two rounds defeating his opponents and managed to reach the quarterfinals however could not perform there due to a leg injury. After this injury he came back to play doubles for Argentina in the Davis Cup against Sweden where he won back to back straight sets.
Some brightness finally came into his life when he entered and played in the 2010 Sony Erickson Open in Miami to which he finally fell in the fourth seed to Rafael Nadal. In the 2012 Monte Carlo Rolex Masters he again entered defeating Andreas Beck before losing in the quarter finals to Djokovic. David Nalbandian completed his 2010 journey by taking part in the 2010 BNP Paribus Masters where he lost and surrendered to Andy Murray.
2011 had more or less the same story where he lost most of his matches including the won to Roger Federer in the third round of the Wimbledon.
Argentina have taken a commanding lead of their Davis cup tie, with the score currently standing at 2 – 1. The Argentineans’ are up against Croatia in the Davis Cup quarterfinals and are looking to improve on their performance last year.
The lead can largely be attributed to the hard work of team captain David Nalbandian who has played two five hour games in the last two days and has maged to secure victories in both of them. The South American tennis giant teamed up with fellow countrymen Eduardo Schwank to win the doubles match of the tie and secure the 2 -1 lead.
The doubles match was a marathon affair with the momentum shifting throughout the game. The Croatians managed to win the first set with relative ease six games to three. The south American’s then rallied to win the second in a tie breaker before also losing the third 6 games to three.
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Juan Martin Del Potro and David Nalbandian will be a part of the Argentina Davis Cup team that will take on Croatia in the Quarter Final stages of the Elite Group on the 6th of April. Nalbandian, who missed much of the previous season due to an injury, is looking to get back to playing his best tennis that won him worldwide acclaim when he was a regular feature in the top ten of the ATP rankings in the middle of the 2000s. He also reached the Final of Wimbledon, only to lose to a brilliant Roger Federer and since faded away almost into oblivion but now it seems that he is back and he is back to his best.
Captain Martin Jaite has picked a star studded team for the Davis Cup which goes to show that the entire team is serious about winning the tie and advancing in an attempt to win their first ever Davis Cup crown. When asked why then, was David Nalbandian picked, Jaite replied that he has shown glimpses of the tennis that he played almost five or six years back and it would be unjust to leave him back home when was in such good form.
Having fallen out of the top fifty in the recent ATP rankings, Nalbandian will try and use the Davis Cup to rebuild his game and confidence so that he can climb up the ratings starting with the clay court season next month and as a result, he is trying to get as many matches under his belt as possible and has also been lined up as the partner of Eduardo Schwank in the doubles.
Whether it helps David Nalbandian get back to his prime is another debate but at the moment, he is happy being in the good books of Jaite.
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July 18, 2012 1:56 pm | 
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