"He's got to be hurting physically": John McEnroe lauds Daniil Medvedev but says 'fresh' Jannik Sinner more likely to win Australian Open
ATPSunday, 28 January 2024 at 05:30
Former world number one John McEnroe has heaped praise on
the world number three Daniil Medvedev for putting a great show physically in
the Australian Open 2024.
The 27-year-old booked his place in the final of the first
Grand Slam of the season after beating Germany’s Alexander Zverev despite being
two sets down in one of the best comebacks in the history of the event in a
five-set thriller with a score of 5-7, 3-6, 7-6, 7-6, 6-3 on Friday.
He will be facing Italy’s young tennis star Jannik Sinner
who booked his place in the final of a major tournament for the first time
after defeating the world number one Serbia’s Novak Djokovic with a score of 6-1,
6-2, 6-7, 6-3.
Talking ahead of the final of the Australian Open, McEnroe,
who won seven Grand Slam titles in his illustrious career, was recently quoted
in a report where he heaped praise on Medvedev while suggesting that he would
be ‘hurting physically’ three five-set matches in the competition and further highlighted
that his opponent will be far more fresher in the contest.
“He’s been known as a human backboard, but what he’s done is
rather remarkable already,” said McEnroe. “I already thought of Daniil Medvedev
as a chess master, a brilliant strategist, he did it once again [in the
semi-final] - he shifted gears, changed his return position, started attacking
more, serving bigger.
“He did everything to get back into the match. But he’s
played three five setters - Sinner has lost one set. So this would be truly
remarkable if Medvedev can rise to the occasion once more, he’s got to be
hurting physically.
"But I sort of thought that against Zverev, that the
difference was that Zverev was hurting and it caught up to him as the match
wore on. But Sinner will be fresh and that is the difference to me.”
Azeem Siddiqui is a seasoned sports journalist and data analyst with a strong background in both digital media and live sports production.
He began his journalism career working with partners of The New York Times and has since contributed to several leading international sports publications, including Fox Sports Asia, Calciomercato, and GiveMeSport. Since 2023, Azeem has been part of the TennisUpToDate team, where he has played a key role in sustaining the platform’s growth and ensuring tennis fans receive timely and reliable coverage of the sport’s biggest stories.
In addition to his editorial work, Azeem has extensive experience as a data analyst in live sports broadcasting—particularly in cricket—where he combines analytical precision with creative storytelling. He has collaborated with multiple production companies and cricket boards worldwide, delivering real-time insights and data-driven narratives during live match coverage.
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