© Getty Images
Russian Nikolay Davydenko (pictured) clinched his third Kremlin Cup title Sunday and was rewarded with the news that he had qualified for Tennis Masters Cup Shanghai.

The World No. 4 defeated former winner Paul-Henri Mathieu of France 7-5, 7-6(9) in two hours and 35 minutes to win his 11th career ATP trophy.

It was his first title since capturing his maiden ATP Masters Series shield at Paris in November 2006 (d. Hrbaty). He improves to 11-3 lifetime in ATP finals.

Davydenko broke the Mathieu serve twice in the fifth and 11th game of the first set, which lasted a little over one hour. Mathieu squandered two sets points.

The 26-year-old Davydenko wasted his first match point while serving at 5-4 in the second set – which featured six breaks of service.

Mathieu first squandered two set points on Davydenko's serve at 6-5 and he missed out on four set points in the tie-break at 6-4, 7-6 and 8-7. Davydenko finally converted his fifth match point for victory.

Davydenko won his first Moscow in 2004 (d. Rusedski) and against last year (d. Safin). He now has a 15-2 tournament record at the Olympic Stadium.

Mathieu has previously beaten Davydenko twice at ATP-level this season, at Sydney and in the Davis Cup quarterfinals.

The World No. 24 from Strasbourg, France, was appearing in his third ATP final of 2007, having won trophies at Casablanca (d. Montanes) and Gstaad (d. Seppi).

Mathieu won the 2002 Moscow crown (d. Schalken) and is 12-3 at the event.

He has a 9-31 lifetime record (4-6 this year) against Top 10 players in the South African Airways ATP Rankings.

WHAT THE PLAYERS SAID

Davydenko: "It feels great to win Moscow for the third time. "I had to close the match earlier. I had match points at 5-3 and 5-4. In the tie-break I just had much luck. This year it was my first final so I was very nervous. Maybe I wanted too much to win Moscow and it affected my game a little bit. In the second set I felt a pain in my elbow and I was very close from deciding to retire from the match. Surely, I would have retired in the beginning of the third set I if had lost the second."

Mathieu: "It was a really close match. Finals are always close. In the first set I had two set points at 5-4 15-40. If I had taken a one set lead the match could be different. In a match like this, one or two points make a big difference. I'm upset now because I had my chances but tomorrow when I wake up I will think: 'It was a good week’."

Saturday: Davydenko Boosts Shanghai Chances
Friday: Davydenko, Mathieu Progress to SFs
Thursday: Davydenko Prospers As Seeds Tumble
Wednesday: Mathieu, Stepanek, Kohlschreiber Reach Last Eight
Tuesday: Davydenko, Mathieu Advance to Second Round
Monday: Kohlschreiber, Stepanek Through to Second Round