Daniił Miedwiediew

[Damian]

Medvedev Closes In On SF Berth In Turin

Spoiler:

Russian moves to 2-0 in Red Group Action
In the latest chapter of their rivalry, reigning champion Daniil Medvedev earned a hard-fought 6-3, 6-7(3), 7-6(6) win over Alexander Zverev Tuesday at the Nitto ATP Finals to boost his semi-final chances as he moved to 2-0 in Red Group action.

The World No. 2 downed Hubert Hurkacz in his opening match and backed that up against the German as he struck the ball with consistent depth and recovered from a dip in the second set, soaking up Zverev’s heavy-hitting to secure victory after two hours and 35 minutes in an entertaining match in Turin. With his triumph against Zverev, Medvedev has moved level with the 24-year-old on a tour-leading 56 wins this season.

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The Russian, who edged Dominic Thiem to win the title at the season finale last year, will qualify for the semi-finals later Tuesday if Hurkacz defeats Italian Matteo Berrettini in Red Group.

Medvedev now leads Zverev 6-5 in their ATP Head2Head series, having won his past five matches against the World No. 3, including victories in Australia and Paris this year. The pair also met in the round-robin stage at the season finale in 2020, with Medvedev triumphing 6-3, 6-4.

Earlier this season, the second seed captured his fourth ATP Masters 1000 crown in Toronto, before he ended Novak Djokovic’s Grand Slam hopes in the US Open final to win his maiden major title. Medvedev arrives in Turin following a run to the championship match in Paris.

You May Also Like: Courier On Medvedev's Movement: 'Never Seen Anything Like It'
In a lively start, Medvedev played the big points better as he fended off three break points across his opening two service games and broke Zverev to soar 3-0 ahead. The Russian closed the net effectively throughout the first set, stepping forward to dictate in the fast conditions.

After clinching the opener in 37 minutes, Medvedev continued to push Zverev in the second set with his flat groundstrokes. But the German held firm, saving all three break points he faced in the set as the pair moved to a tie-break. Medvedev was then punished for second-serve foot fault at 1/1 and briefly lost his focus as Zverev levelled, with the German raising his arms to further engage the raucous crowd as he marched back to his chair.

Both players were strong on serve in the decider as they played aggressively, with Medvedev saving the only break point of the set at 5-5, 30/40 when Zverev hit a forehand long. In a tense tie-break, Medvedev found a deep return on his backhand to move 6/4 ahead, but Zverev stepped up to save both match points. However, it only delayed the outcome, with Medvedev sealing victory on his third match point when Zverev hit a backhand into the net.

The World No. 3, who has captured five tour-level trophies this season, is now 1-1 in Red Group play and faces Hurkzcz in his final round-robin match. Zverev is aiming to replicate his 2018 Nitto ATP Finals title run this week at the Pala Alpitour.

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[Damian]

Daniił już pewny półfinału:

[DUN I LOVE]

Moment (awans do półfinału ATP Finals 2021).

[Art]

[Art]

[Damian]

[Damian]

Medvedev: ‘In The Third-Set Tie-Break, Both Of Us Were Shaken’

Spoiler:

Defending champion edges Zverev in three-set thriller

Daniil Medvedev defeated Alexander Zverev 6-3, 6-7(3), 7-6(6) at the Nitto ATP Finals on Tuesday to secure his place in the semi-finals – then jokingly wrote “Not tight. Hands are shaking” on the camera.

Medvedev explained the message after the match, admitting that nerves had played a crucial role for both players in the tight round-robin match.

“I think the second set, on these fast courts, where I had a lot of opportunities to maybe get closer to the win on his serve was not easy, because it's like you feel the moment that you can win the match there,” he said.

“He's definitely not going to make it easy for you, and there were a few points where I could have been better, and I think the nerves were part of it. But then in the third-set tie-break, of course both of us were shaken. That's completely normal. Everybody would be: Novak, Rafa, Roger.

“That's why I found it funny, because I think on the TV you don't really see it because I was still going for the shots. I was not missing that much. I made a few great shots, and it was enough to win the match. So I guess people could look at it and say, ‘Wow, he's not tight at all’, but, yeah, hands were shaking.”

Medvedev had reason to smile after the victory. Not only had he extended his winning streak at the Nitto ATP Finals to seven matches and ensured his place in the semi-finals, he had secured his fifth straight win over Zverev and taken the lead in their head-to-head for the first time.

Regardless, the US Open champion is not taking anything for granted.

“I always say against a Top 10 player for years, which is Sascha, I feel like no matter how many matches you win in a row you can basically lose the same amount in a row afterwards,” Medvedev said.

“Every match was different. Some matches I was in control. Some matches I remember he was up, really in control of the match, where I managed to turn it around. Today's match was a matter of few points, was a really close match.

“I'm just happy that I made it against such a such a strong opponent, especially this year, has so many victories, titles. So I'm happy that I managed to have the edge in three meetings we had this year.”

After Medvedev beat Zverev, news broke that Matteo Berrettini was withdrawing from the Nitto ATP Finals due to injury, to be replaced by Jannik Sinner, who will now be Medvedev’s opponent on Thursday.

Despite already being declared the winner of his group, Medvedev has no intention of taking his foot off the gas in his last round-robin match.

“I think when you lose the match, you lose the momentum, so it's always better to win… Always if you lose in the head-to-head it's a loss, so I don't like to lose. So I'm going to be 100 per cent.”

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[Damian]

Exclusive: Medvedev Dishes On Italian Food, Defending Title In Turin & More

Spoiler:

Russian has qualified for the semi-finals at the Pala Alpitour
Daniil Medvedev, who is the defending champion at the Nitto ATP Finals, has already guaranteed himself a spot in this year's semi-finals after clinching the top spot in the Red Group at the Pala Alpitour.

The Russian is trying to become the first player to win consecutive titles at the season finale since Novak Djokovic triumphed in four straight editions from 2012-15.

ATPTour.com caught up with the World No. 2 to learn about his run to the trophy last year, how he is enjoying Turin and what his favourite Italian food is.

You May Also Like: Courier On Medvedev's Movement: 'Never Seen Anything Like It'
What sticks out to you from your run to the Nitto ATP Finals title last year?
The biggest memories were the semi-finals and the final. Of course I remember every match, every match was tough. But in the semi-finals I was down, Rafa [Nadal] served for the match.

I remember I felt like I was playing good. I was in great shape, I’d just won Paris. I was standing there and I was like, ‘Am I really going to lose like this 4 and 4 and just go back home?’ Home was close. It was the last tournament of the year, so I didn’t want to finish in this way and I was just happy I managed to break through, because you’re not going to make it [back] all the time, especially against somebody like Rafa.

In the final against against Dominic [Thiem] it was the same. He was completely dominating me for a big part of the match. I think either at 3-3 or 4-4 he had some break points and I remember one he had, it was kind of an easy forehand in a way. I was at the net, and he missed it. But that’s what tennis is about.

I managed to win both matches, they were two-and-a-half hours, two hours and 45 minutes. These two matches stay in my memory because they make the title even sweeter.

Medvedev
Photo Credit: Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour
What do you think about the tournament’s move from London to Turin?
It’s definitely different. It’s a different city, a different venue. You need time to get used to it. I feel like the first few days it’s always not easy when you come to any tournament you play for the first time.

Everybody is asking me how I feel as the defending champion. I’m always answering that I feel like there is no defending champion. It’s just a new champion in a new city, which is Torino. I really have enjoyed it so far, especially because I’m playing well. I hope for more.

How special are the Italian fans?
The Italian fans are passionate. We have a queue in front of our hotel no matter if it’s raining or sunny. Of course a little bit more when it’s sunny! That shows how passionate they are about tennis. I think we try to give back to them [to thank them].

What is your favourite Italian food?
To be honest I like so much Italian food, but I will have to go with panna cotta because I like sweets and it’s definitely very good in Italy. I took it two or three times before the tournament because during the tournament I don’t eat sweets.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/medvede ... -exclusive

[DUN I LOVE]

Moment (3-0 w grupie i awans z pierwszego miejsca w półfinałów):

[Damian]

[Damian]

[Damian]

Medvedev Saves 2 MPs, Maintains Perfect Turin Record

Spoiler:

Russian tops Red Group with 3-0 record
Daniil Medvedev will head into the semi-finals at Nitto ATP Finals in strong form after he captured his third consecutive round-robin win Thursday, topping Red Group with a 3-0 record.

The World No. 2, who secured qualification for the last four on Tuesday when he beat Alexander Zverev, saved two match points as he edged home favourite Jannik Sinner 6-0, 6-7(5), 7-6(8) in front of a lively crowd at the Pala Alpitour in Turin.

“It was tough,” Medvedev said in his on-court interview. “Mentally it was tough knowing the match was dead. But I did not want to lose my rhythm. I won the first set quite easily and I was like, lets continue this way. The second set was about an hour or so and then it is the third set. But you’re not going to not play the third set because I like to win, I don’t like to lose. I am happy I won.”

Medvedev has now won his past eight matches at the season finale, having defeated Dominic Thiem to lift the trophy when the event was held in London last year.

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In an entertaining match, the Russian hit with consistent depth against Sinner as he used his flat groundstrokes to pin the Italian back. Medvedev recovered from a break down in the third set and saved match points at 5/6 and 7/8 in the third-set tie-break to extend his ATP Head2Head series lead against the 20-year-old to 3-0.

Medvedev, who beat Hubert Hurkacz in his opening round-robin match, will play either Casper Ruud or Andrey Rublev in the semi-finals, with the pair facing off Friday in a winner-takes-all clash. World No. 1 Novak Djokovic has already won the Green Group and will take on Zverev in the last four.

“When I know that I am in the next round and I am waiting for my opponent, I watch the match to see how they play,” Medvedev added. “So I am just going to watch it and enjoy it and wait for the winner.”

Earlier this season, Medvedev earned his fourth ATP Masters 1000 trophy in Toronto, before he ended Djokovic’s Grand Slam hopes by defeating the Serbian in the US Open final to capture his maiden major title. The Russian is now 57-12 on the year.

You May Also Like: Exclusive: Medvedev Dishes On Italian Food, Defending Title In Turin & More
Medvedev flew out of the blocks against Sinner to quickly quieten the crowd inside the Pala Alpitour. The Russian hit with power and precision from the baseline in the first set, committing just three unforced errors in the set as he closed out points with ruthless efficiency to seal the opener in 26 minutes.


The second set followed a different pattern though as Sinner grew into the match. The Italian showed his grit and quality as he broke to move 3-1 ahead. However, all it did was rile up Medvedev, who broke back immediately. The pair then moved to a tie-break, and it was Sinner who held his nerve to level, raising his arms in the air as he marched back to his chair.

In a tight third set, Medvedev battled back from 2-4 as he used his experience to regain some control. But Sinner remained strong on serve as a tie-break was left to decide the match. Medvedev and Sinner played aggressively in the tie-break, with both striking the ball with great power. After saving match points at 5/6 and 7/8, it was Medvedev who secured victory after two hours and 32 minutes when he hit a backhand winner on his second match point.

The first alternate Sinner defeated Hurkacz on his debut at the season finale on Tuesday following Matteo Berrettini’s withdrawal due to a left oblique injury. However, despite a valiant effort, he was unable to make it back-to-back victories against Medvedev.

The 20-year-old won four tour-level titles in a breakthrough 2021 season and will finish the year inside the Top 10 of the FedEx ATP Rankings.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/medvede ... 1-thursday

[Damian]

Medvedev Pleased To Keep Momentum Going In Turin

Spoiler:

Russian faces Rudd or Rublev in semi-finals
After soaring through the Red Group with three consecutive round-robin victories at the Nitto ATP Finals, Daniil Medvedev is feeling in good shape ahead of the semi-finals in Turin.

Having already qualified for the last four after defeating Alexander Zverev, the Russian faced Jannik Sinner Thursday with seemingly relatively little on the line. However, in a hard-fought clash, Medvedev saved two match points to defeat the Italian in a third-set tie-break and believes it was an important win to maintain his confidence.

“You want to win and keep the momentum, but at the same time you don’t want to go three hours 30 minutes and break your body,” Medvedev said. “The first set was tricky because in a way it was good as it was 30 minutes in my favour and I played a pretty good level.

“The second set I was 100 per cent as I wanted to try and finish the match quickly, which didn’t happen as Jannik played a great level. I am just happy to win and I will just try to be ready for Saturday.”

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The 25-year-old won the title at the season finale last year in London and has beaten Hubert Hurkacz, Zverev and Sinner in Turin this week, adjusting to the fast conditions well. When reflecting on the round-robin stage, Medvedev was happy with where his game is at.

“I think the serve was really good throughout my three matches,” Medvedev said. “I got broken for the first time today. I hit a lot of aces and first serves in. When you win three matches out of three you like everything, but with the fast conditions here the serve is really important.”

The World No. 2 will next face either Andrey Rublev or Casper Ruud in the semi-finals on Saturday and will prepare for the clash over the next day.

“I am going to watch the match tomorrow and then prepare for the winner,” Medvedev said. “Sometimes it can be an advantage and sometimes a disadvantage when you have a day off before the semis, but that is how it is and I am going to take it well.”

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/medvede ... n-thursday

[Damian]

[Damian]

Cervara On Medvedev: 'Winning Doesn’t Change Anything For Us'

Spoiler:

Defending champ's coach reflects on Russian's success
Defending champion Daniil Medvedev is back in the semi-finals of the Nitto ATP Finals, where he will play tournament debutant Casper Ruud for a place in the championship match.

It has been another impressive season for Medvedev, who won his first major title at the US Open and firmly entrenched himself at No. 2 in the FedEx ATP Rankings. The Russian has also won four of his nine sets against World No. 1 Novak Djokovic this year, proving a difficult foe for the Serbian star. The pair could face one another again in the final in Turin if they win their semi-finals at the Pala Alpitour.

ATPTour.com caught up with Medvedev’s coach, Gilles Cervara, before the tournament to discuss his charge’s success, his budding rivalry with Djokovic and more.

How much did things change with Daniil’s US Open win?
I would say they didn’t, really. I didn’t see any difference in anything right now. We try to do the same, to try to do the best all the time. That’s our goal.

When you win a major, that’s life-changing. So how important has it been that he has stayed the same?
It helps you to try to keep focussing on the performance. When I say performance, it’s all the things around tennis: the physical side, mental side, the things we can still improve. There are a lot of things to improve all the time.

Of course the details are getting smaller and smaller. When I was younger, I read many times that Rafa said, ‘I need to improve this, this and this.’ I realised it’s exactly the same for us. It just becomes small details.

Success changes some people, but it seems like with Daniil that’s not the case. He still wants to play video games and all the usual stuff. How nice is it for you as a coach that he’s the same guy?
It makes the priorities still the same. The work on court and outside the court is about performance. We keep the same goals and focus on practice.

Medvedev

Daniil has been playing Novak a lot lately in important matches. Is it fun for you as a coach to try to solve that puzzle?
Yes, it is. It’s fun for me because I like to analyse many things to find solutions. Before the Paris final, we expected Novak could change something in his game and he did. Again, I read many times… I read that Agassi said Sampras made him better and Sampras said Agassi made him better. It’s exactly the same. When you play top players like this, after each match you try to find the solution to solve the problem. It can be the same for us if we have a chance to play Novak this week.

How tricky is it when he changes the game plan so much like he did in Paris and then you have to wonder if he’s going to change again or is he going to do what worked last week?
We know that he’s able to make another type of game. If you keep in your mind that he’s able to play like this, it makes you a bit more ready if it happens again. But now it’s our turn to find the solution first.

The Nitto ATP Finals was very important for Daniil last year. Just how important was it for him?
The good thing is I feel that winning doesn’t change anything for us. It means we want to win more and more and more. It’s just normal. When you come on court to do your best, to make the best shot, the best practice, when you play to win a match, it’s something totally normal for these guys here. It’s their job.

They are here because they want to win all the time. It’s nothing special. Maybe from outside it looks tough, but in fact it’s like the blood going in the veins. It’s the same.

Of course Novak is year-end No. 1, but is chasing World No. 1 one of the next big goals for Daniil? Or is thinking about that not so good?
It’s okay to think about this, it’s nothing bad. It’s a goal, so it’s trying to reach the goal. For me it’s if you play well, if you win more matches than the other players, then you will become No. 1. It’s just a process.

When you get closer to this ranking, maybe you start to realise that you can become No. 1 and you want it more.

Every week you’re focussed on improving but have you stopped to think how far you’ve come with Daniil over the past several years?
For myself, from my position, yes. Twenty years ago I couldn’t imagine I could be there even if it wasn’t one of my goals in my career and in my life.

I realised the road I made to arrive here and it makes this life with a very good taste. I’m proud of myself and realised that maybe I found the different ingredients to reach this position.

Daniil Medvedev

How important is it to finish this week on a high note?
It is important because it also gives a good dynamic for the next season. If not, it gives you another goal, to try to do better for the beginning of the year.

It comes back to what I said before. It means you want to do the best and finish the week as the winner and feel you are the best and did the best job you could do.

Have you ever had to have a talk with Daniil about that mindset?
For him I think it’s natural and for myself also. It’s like blood in our veins. You don’t think about having blood in the veins. We don’t have to think about it. It just is.

It is one thing for Daniil to get to this very high level, but how big of a challenge is it for him to stay there?
It’s always tough because you never know what can happen. It’s always unstable because you cannot control everything on court. You cannot control everything in your mind week after week. It makes this achievement a big challenge.

What has Daniil improved the most this year?
It’s so many things physically, mentally. Being able to stay at this level week after week. To stay stable during the whole year like this. Even during the clay season, there were tough moments before the French Open. To see he was able to find a good dynamic during the summer, it’s always a good pleasure and good feeling that he was able to find his best any time in the season even if just before it was tough.

All photos credits: Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour.

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[Damian]

[Damian]

Medvedev Marches Into Turin Final

Spoiler:

Russian faces Djokovic or Zverev in the championship match
Daniil Medvedev moved to within one match of defending his Nitto ATP Finals title Saturday, cruising past Casper Ruud 6-4, 6-2 to earn his ninth consecutive victory at the season finale.

The Russian soared through the round-robin stage with a perfect 3-0 record and played with such confidence against Ruud as he overpowered the Norwegian with his flat and deep groundstrokes in a dominant performance to advance after 80 minutes in Turin.

The 25-year-old, who downed Dominic Thiem to lift The Brad Drewett Trophy in London in 2020, will face either five-time Nitto ATP Finals champion Novak Djokovic or 2018 titlist Alexander Zverev in the championship match.

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Medvedev now leads Ruud 3-0 in their ATP Head2Head series, having also defeated the World No. 8 on grass in Mallorca in June en route to the title.

Earlier this season, the World No. 2 captured his fourth ATP Masters 1000 crown in Toronto, before he ended Djokovic’s Grand Slam hopes in the US Open final to win his maiden major title. Medvedev arrived in Turin following a run to the championship match in Paris, where he lost to Djokovic, who gained revenge for his defeat at Flushing Meadows.

Medvedev trails the Serbian 4-6 in their ATP Head2Head series, but leads Zverev 6-5, having won their past five meetings, including a three-set win at the Pala Alpitour this week.

You May Also Like: Cervara On Medvedev: 'Winning Doesn’t Change Anything For Us'
Medvedev made a quick start against Ruud as he soaked up the 22-year-old’s heavy-hitting, while imposing his explosive game on the Norwegian to break early. In the fast conditions, the Russian was strong on serve in the first set, winning 85 per cent (17/20) of points behind his first delivery as he sealed the opener after 42 minutes.


The World No. 2 continued to control proceedings in the second set as he coped with Ruud’s variety to great effect, dealing with the 22-year-old’s slice and drop shots to move 4-2 ahead. Medvedev then raced to the finish line, firing 17 winners and committing 14 unforced errors in the match to secure victory.

Ruud was making his debut at the Nitto ATP Finals and edged Andrey Rublev to qualify for the semi-finals as he went 2-1 in Green Group action. In a breakthrough season, he has earned 55 tour-level wins, holding a 25-10 record on hard courts. Before this year, Ruud was 16-27 in tour-level matches on hard courts.

The 22-year-old clinched five tour-level titles in 2021 and became the first Norwegian to crack the Top 10 in the FedEx ATP Rankings in September.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/medvede ... 1-saturday

[Damian]

[Damian]

[Bombardiero]

ATP Finals 2021: drugi finał Turnieju Mistrzów!

[2] Daniił Miedwiediew d. [8] Casper Ruud 64 64