David Nalbandian was preparing to go on a fishing holiday when he received the call inviting him to replace
the injured Andy Roddick in the Masters Cup in Shanghai. Undeterred by the last-minute change of plans,
the Argentine netted the biggest fish in tennis, overcoming a two-sets-to-love deficit to beat world
number one Roger Federer 6-7 6-7 6-2 6-1 7-6 in a classic final. In a match that had more twists and
turns than an Agatha Christie plot (or a fishing lure!), Nalbandian led 4-0 in the final set only to
lose three of his next four service games. The Swiss served for the title at 6-5, but Nalbandian was
in no mood to let him get away. He broke back and toughed out the deciding tie-break to land his catch.
23-year-old Nalbandian enjoyed back-to-back semi-final appearances at Masters Series events in Madrid
and Basel in the run-up to the Masters. He had a consistent year in the grand slams, reaching the
quarter-final stage at Wimbledon, the US Open and the Australian Open. In May, he captured his third
career ATP title, defeating Andrei Pavel in the Munich final, and went 4-0 in Davis Cup singles matches
to lead his country to the semi-finals. He has been a constant thorn in Federer's side with six career
wins over the Swiss. Victory in Shanghai ensured a Top 10 finish for a third straight year.
Adapting well to different speeds and surfaces, Nalbandian's versatility was demonstrated at the age of
just 16 when he won the US Open Boys Singles. In 2002, he swept to his first ATP tour title in Estoril
with victories over Juan Carlos Ferrero and Carlos Moya. He then defied all expectation by reaching the
Wimbledon final on grass, but, overawed by the occasion, he was crushed by Lleyton Hewitt. Injury
restricted his appearances in the autumn of 2003. 2004 turned out even worse, but he came back strong
and still performed well enough to end the year inside the Top 10.
His interests outside tennis include fishing (obviously!) and watching car rallies. He is a staunch fan
of the River Plate soccer team.
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