Qualified Medvedev before Alcaraz match-up : “Djokovic 2022 is a great example for me to try to do my best”
Daniil Medvedev has already stamped his ticket for the semi-finals but his intention is to play to the max against Carlos Alcaraz… like Djokovic did in 2022 against him
Daniil Medvedev in Turin (Chryslene Caillaud/Panoramic)
When Daniil Medvedev steps on to court to face Carlos Alcaraz on Friday, if you think he will try to save his energy for Saturday’s semi-finals, you think wrong. The Russian, who won in straight sets his first two matches at the ATP Finals in Turin, has the intention to play fully and keep up the pace.
“I’m going to try my best to play Carlos,” said Medvedev, during a press conference on Wednesday, after winning against Alexander Zverev.
Medvedev added: “Is not easy. But here, on this fast court, so can be interesting. For sure you probably don’t want to play tiebreak of the third set after three hours 30, [then] having to play a semi-final the next day. But the moment you think, ‘Maybe this match I can go easier’, you can lose all the rhythm, That’s how tennis is.”
Medvedev remembers losing this kind of match in 2022 against Novak Djokovic (6-3, 6-7, 7-6) and seeing the Serb triumph two days after.
“For example, Novak last year against me, was very tough match physically,” he observed.
“He could have said,’I lose,’ at one moment. ‘Whatever, I lose the match, I’m still first place.’ But he didn’t. I think great example for me to try to do just my best on Friday and try to win.”
Medvedev: It’s easier to play earlier in the day
Medvedev will play the first match on Friday, which might help him to reach his goals.
“Always easier to play earlier, to not have to go to bed after midnight and stuff like this. At the same time when I won in London [in 2020], I remember I played at night against Diego [Schwartzman], at night against Rafa [Nadal], then against Dominic [Thiem]. I was going to bed at 3 in the morning, stuff like this, still managed to win,” the 27-year-old explained.
The Russian was then asked for his response to Zverev’s funny comment: “On Friday I’ll be No 1 Daniil Medvedev fan there is on this planet – for a change! We’ll see how it goes.”
And Medvedev said he understood – after all, the German needs him to win to have a chance of qualifying for the semi-finals himself. “First of all, that’s normal. He wants to go through. I don’t know all the scenarios. I would be the same. I can see him looking the match.”
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