Daniil Medvedev hopes to “break this thing” and finish 2023 with a second title at one of his final four events
As the 2023 season winds down, Daniil Medvedev sets his sights on winning a second title at either Shanghai, Vienna, Paris or the ATP Finals.
Daniil Medvedev China Open SF 2023
He’s already claimed five titles and reached eight ATP finals in 2023, but it’s not enough for Daniil Medvedev. The Russian, who fell at the last hurdle in Beijing to Jannik Sinner on Wednesday, wants to continue riding the hot hand until the season ends. The 27-year-old has one notable goal in mind: To win a second title at one of the tournaments he has already raised a trophy at.
That leaves Shanghai, Vienna, the Paris Masters and the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin as targets for the world No 3.
Medvedev, who has raised the trophy at 20 different ATP events, has never been able to claim a second title at any of them. He hopes to fix that by the end of the season, however.
“I hope, because this year I play four more tournaments, and all of them I won, so I hope I can break this thing, win one of them. I would be very happy,” Medvedev said.
Given his form in 2023, and his performance on hard courts since the start of 2018, Medvedev has a pretty good shot to get it done.
The Russian has amassed 239 wins on hard courts since the start of 2018 – 64 more than any other player.
The former world No 1 and 2021 US Open champion hopes to make his dream come true in Shanghai next week, where he will join 18 other top 20 players (all but Novak Djokovic) in the Rolex Shanghai Masters draw.
When the tournament was last played, in 2019, before the pandemic, it was Medvedev who won the title, defeating Alexander Zverev in the final, 6-4, 6-1.
“I’m in good shape now,” Medvedev said after falling to Sinner in Wednesday’s hotly contested final in Beijing, 7-6(2), 7-6(2). “Even again today, the match was good, was good tennis. Had to do better if I wanted to win, but it was good tennis. I want to continue playing good this season. It’s not over. A lot of points to try to gain.
“Going to Shanghai to show my best and hopefully I can do it.”
The difference against Sinner? Tiebreaks
In Wednesday’s final Medvedev lost for the first time in seven tries against Sinner, with the match decided in two tiebreaks, as neither player surrendered a break of serve.
“Came down to the tiebreaks where he was much better than me,” Medvedev said. “2 and 2, I should have done better. That’s unfortunately how tennis can be.
‘I hope that next time if I have to play two tiebreaks in the final I can win it. That’s the only way forward. I need to try to do better next time when I have a tiebreak in the final. Not much I can add to this.”
It’s the second time that Medvedev has been taken out in the final against a player who played the big moments better. At the US Open the Russian had chances to make his final against Novak Djokovic close, but he fell in straight sets to the 24-time major champion, 6-3, 7-6(5), 6-3.
“He served better in these tiebreaks. So he made all the shots and played better tennis,” Medvedev said of his loss to Sinner. “At the same time, as I say, coming after the match I’m, like, okay, if I want to improve, what do I have to do better? Well, serve better during the tiebreak, play better during the tiebreak, hit some better shots.
“That’s why I say the only thing I can do better is next time get out there on the tiebreak, hit aces, winners, and try to win with the same score he did.”
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