WIMBLEDON: DANCEVIC SHOCKS NALBANDIAN
National Post
June 23 2008
Canada
Every once in a while, Frank Dancevic shows why he is Canada’s best
tennis player, and one of its few tennis hopes. On Monday, he did it
again, shocking seventh-seeded David Nalbandian of Argentina in the
first round at Wimbledon, 6-4, 6-2, 6-4.
It was Nalbandian who defeated Dancevic in the second round at
Wimbledon last year in four sets. The Argentine has struggled at
Grand Slams recently, losing in the second round at the French Open
this season and in the third at the Australian Open. He was ranked
third in the world early in 2006 before injuries slowed him, but was
still seventh in the world coming into Wimbledon. He made the final
of the tournament in 2002.
Dancevic, 23, rose as high as No. 65 last year after winning his
first ATP tournament in Indianapolis last summer, then advancing
to the quarter-finals of the Rogers Cup in Montreal before falling
in three sets to world No. 2 Rafael Nadal. Before those two weeks,
he had never won back-to-back ATP matches. Coming into Wimbledon this
year, Dancevic was ranked 95th.
But now he will play a 25-year-old American named Bobby Reynolds,
born in Cape Cod, who is ranked 102nd in the world. Dancevic, the
floppy-haired kid from Niagara Falls, On., has never reached the
third round of a major. Well if he’s going to do it, now’s the time.