Medvedev and Sinner Meet in Australian Open Final: Intense Matchup Ahead

There’s this video on social media where Daniil Medvedev is asked what nickname he prefers. The Russian ponders the question a bit and then says that he likes to be called “the chess player”. He likes that.

The highlight of the video is that a response from Medvedev’s friend Andrey Rublev is immediately edited in. “He’s the octopus!” Rublev shouts cheerfully: “He has no coordination! An octopus!” And then the clip plays with the opposites a bit.

Medvedev is probably both; a chess player and an octopus. Thoughtful in his actions and preparations, curiously flexible in his play. Sometimes even grotesquely intuitive.

He annoyed Alexander Zverev with his antics in the semi-finals of the Australian Open and beat him after being 0-2 down: the Russian conjured up a 5-7, 3-6 win from a 5-7, 3-6, 5-6 score , 7:6, 7:6, 6:3 victory and once again lived up to his reputation as a tireless pain in the ass.

Semi-final: Zverev blows 2-0 lead against Medvedev – highlights

Medvedev (ent)nerves Zverev

When Zverev served at 5:6 at the end of the fourth set, Medvedev instructed the Greek referee Eva Asderaki to have Zverev’s print, which was already monitored by the magic eye, checked again because the digital repetition of the rally in the so-called “close call” on the Stadium display was not fully visible.

This disgusted the German, he said that Medvedev just wanted to break his rhythm with the absurd request. “He’s just putting on a show here again,” he said. And then served an ace.

Medvedev is making antics – Zverev doesn’t like it at all!

The next person who has to face the antics of the man from Moscow is Jannik Sinner. After his great autumn with reaching the final of the ATP Finals and the Davis Cup triumph, the South Tyrolean was considered an insider tip in Melbourne.

Sinner the favorite in the final

The 22-year-old Italian is favored going into his first Grand Slam final, which is a bit paradoxical; After all, his counterpart Medvedev has already played in a major final five times, twice in Australia (2021, 2022) and has already won one, in 2021 at the US Open.

In the world rankings, the 27-year-old Russian is also one place higher in third place.

Sinner, on the other hand, is breaking new ground on Sunday (from 9:15 a.m. live on TV on Eurosport 1, in the live stream on discovery+ and in the live ticker on Eurosport.de). “Medvedev knows exactly what to expect – Sinner doesn’t. The question is: How does he deal with this pressure?” said Eurosport expert Boris Becker before the final.

Medvedev tries to control himself

The truth about Medvedev also means that he reduced his antics at the Australian Open to what was necessary for him. What I mean is: He only does it when it benefits him.

“I thought a lot on vacation about why I sometimes let the smallest things like a spectator calling in upset me,” he said in Melbourne: “I’m getting to the bottom of the matter and trying to do it differently now “And so far I’ve been able to do it well.”

The tournament has gone well so far, but above all Sinner, who was on the court for almost six hours less than Medvedev at the Australian Open and goes into the final fresher. For Becker, that’s not the only reason why Sinner is “the clear favorite”.

Becker: “Sinner has become more mature”

What impressed the former tennis star about Sinner was not just the win against Djokovic, “but the way he played the whole tournament. He only lost one set, while Medvedev had to go the full distance more often.” The big question is therefore “how fit he still is”.

Semi-final: Sinner sweeps Djokovic off the court – highlights

“He is two years more mature, has overcome a small crisis and now has one of the best coaches in the scene with Darren Cahill,” Becker supported his argument per Sinner.

Sinner has refined his physique

Although the Italian was challenged right up to the end in the 2023 season with the ATP Finals and the Davis Cup, he has had an outstanding start to the year. An achievement that does not come by chance; After all, the South Tyrolean, who is still lanky but more defined, has gained seven kilos of muscle mass in the last year and has generally worked on his physique.

“The boy works tennis,” says Becker, impressed.

In autumn 2023, Sinner also won three times in a row against Medvedev: in Beijing, in Vienna and at the finals in Turin. The Italian increased his record against the Russian to 6:3.

However, Medvedev doesn’t care. “All the matches were close and it was towards the end of the season when I didn’t really feel fresh anymore,” he said on Friday. On Sunday, different signs apply – although the freshness again doesn’t speak for him.

Medvedev dangerous for Sinner

Becker still considers Medvedev to be dangerous. The Muscovite is so good because he “makes the most of his possibilities”. And he likes to play with his opponent’s head.

“Against Zverev, he said in the third set that he was tired – two hours later he was running like a young rabbit. He knows exactly what he has to do to influence the opponent. Sinner has to be careful,” says the 56th -year olds.

Medvedev signals: The legs don’t want to go anymore

He considers the Russian “to be the most intelligent tennis player at the moment.” For someone who can beat anyone, anytime. “He knows exactly what to play and what to say,” he says: “He is the chess player of the tennis scene.”

Medvedev would like that.

Djokovic beaten! That’s what Sinner says in the Eurosport interview

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Becker surprised by Djokovic’s clear defeat against Sinner

2024-01-27 18:18:00
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