Away from limelight,a former world No.3 slips into an abyss

Back in 2010,Davydenko arrived at Melbourne Park with the world at his feet. He had won the season-ending 2009 ATP Tour Finals. Beaten Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in consecutive matches to win the Australian Open warm-up event at Doha.

He was among the top flight of favourites for the Open and joked,having won a million dollars at the ATP Finals,that he needed to keep winning so his wife,Irina,could afford to continue shopping in the manner she had become accustomed. As if driven by the fear of his wife’s flashing gold card,he motored to the quarter-finals at Melbourne Park before losing in four high-quality sets to Federer. Then,disaster. Davydenko injured his wrist at Rotterdam in March and the walls came crashing down.

The marathon man of the tour played just 49 matches in 2010. His year-ending ranking slipped to 22,the lowest it had been in six years.

In 2011,he won his 21st career title on clay in Munich,but again he played just 50 matches and failed to advance past the third round at any of the four Grand Slam tournaments.

He started the Australian Open at 52,still falling.

Cue to Monday. Lonely old court 19.

Davydenko mumbled and bumbled his way to a 6-4 4-6 3-6 6-2 6-1 defeat in three hours and 21 minutes.

It will not be remembered as one of his finest performances. “I am used to show courts,” he said. “I feel weird on court 19.”