In a five-set epic Australian Open match, Daniil Medvedev dazzles Alexander Zverev. Daniil Medvedev was nowhere to be found as Alexander Zverev, a bright teenage boy projected for greatness, started tennis to rise up the ATP rankings. Medvedev was an afterthought in comparison to those with more spectacular games and years of fanfare, having taken a lot longer than his rivals to reach the pinnacle of his sport.
After rising to the top, though, Medvedev has cemented his place as the greatest player of his generation. Late on Friday night, he overcame a peer once more, coming back from a two-set deficit to defeat Zverev 5-7, 3-6, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (5), 6-3 to advance to the Australian Open final. In the East Finals rematch, Tatum scores 26 points as the Celtics humiliate the Heat, 143-110
After the Italian’s four-set victory against Novak Djokovic, the top seed and reigning champion, at the US Open in 2021, Medvedev will take on Jannik Sinner in an attempt to finally win his second grand slam trophy, three years after his first. It will be Medvedev’s third final at the Australian Open and sixth grand slam final overall, and his first against a player other than Rafael Nadal or the Serb. “Let’s see, we say it’s the third time lucky,” Medvedev added. “From experience, I can say that things aren’t always this way, but maybe this helps.
The newest drama in Medvedev’s wild journey through the Australian Open draw is this new comeback. In a match that ended at 3:40 am, he overcame Emil Ruusuvuori in the second round after trailing two sets; he also triumphed against ninth seed Hubert Hurkacz in five sets and has experienced many intense battles in Australia’s oppressive heat. He’s still standing, somehow.
“I’m stronger than I was before this tournament because I’ve realized that I can do things that I previously believed I couldn’t. Since I didn’t do anything similar to get to the final before,” Medvedev remarked.
Another win for Medvedev over Zverev demonstrates the considerable psychological advantage the Russian has over the German. Despite Zverev dominating their first four meetings, the Russian has won 11 of their last 13 meetings in a gradual turnaround of their head-to-head record.
Zverev used Medvedev’s deep court posture and passive play to his advantage for two sets by constantly going forward to the net. But as loss drew nigh, Medvedev suddenly came to life. He drew nearer to the baseline, gaining possession of the ball sooner and buying his opponent more time. Through amazing clutch tennis, Medvedev kept himself alive in both tiebreaks.
The Russian double blunder at 4–4 in the fourth set tiebreak allowed Zverev to serve out the match. However, after winning well on the forehand, Medvedev produced one of the tournament’s best strokes, an inadvertent drop shot return winner off Zverev’s first serve. The tie-break was then ended by Medvedev with an ace.
As Zverev struggled physically and lost his composure, the eventual outcome was obvious by the final set. The decisive, predictable break for Medvedev came at 2-2 on Zverev’s serve as the German’s forehand fell apart. The world No. 3 snatched the only service break in the final set and marched through his own service games to secure an incredible win. How Miami Heat Fans Reacted to Their Thursday Loss Against the Boston Celtics on Twitter
Zverev’s tournament was preceded by the confirmation that he will face a public trial in May for allegedly physically abusing his former girlfriend, Brenda Patea, who is also the mother of his child. Zverev denies the charges.
The German’s trial is due to begin on 31 May and run until 19 July, meaning the next time he competes at a grand slam tournament, he is expected to be in the middle of his trial. Asked if the news distracted him from his tennis, Zverev responded: “No, because I have said it before Anyone who has a semi-decent IQ level understands what’s going on. I hope that most of you guys do. I’m fine with it,” he said.