Victory gave him a last-16 spot at
a Grand Slam for the first time before
his eventual quarter-final exit.
Clay and hard courts are his favourite
surfaces, so it is no surprise the arrival
of the clay-court season saw even more
success for the Russian.
After getting to the semi-finals in
Barcelona and at the Hamburg Masters,
Davydenko grabbed his first title of
the year - and the fifth of his career
- at the St Polten Grand Prix in May.
He then bettered his Grand Slam performance
in Melbourne with the high-point of
his career - a semi-final appearance
at the French Open.
It was an ultimately disappointing
experience, however, as he let victory
slip away in a five-set defeat to Mariano
Puerta.
Grass remains something of a mystery
for the 24-year-old, who has yet to
make it past the first round in three
attempts at Wimbledon.
