Medvedev feeling confident after win over Djokovic

Thursday, 19 November 2020 at 11:45

Daniil Medvedev booked his spot in the semifinals of the Nitto ATP Finals on Wednesday, as he cruised past World No.1 Novak Djokovic in stunning fashion.

The recent Paris Masters champion faced only one break point in his 6-3 6-3 victory, overpowering his Serbian opponent from the baseline with consistent, aggressive strokes. Medvedev improves to 3-4 in their head-to-head meetings, having won three of their last four contests.

“I like to play Novak because he is one of the greatest champions in the history of our sport,” Medvedev said after the match. “When I was eight years old, I was already watching him on TV winning Grand Slams. He was still young. It is always a dream come true to play against him.

Of course, [I am] really happy to beat him. I was serving good and playing safe enough in the most important moments. That is why I got the win.”

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Having lost all his group stage matches at last year's event, the Russian has already secured his berth in the semifinals and sits atop Group Tokyo 1970 with a 2-0 record. He was particularly impressive against Djokovic, as he gave the World No.1 little chance to build any momentum with his crafty yet aggressive play.

“To be completely honest, I am sure he didn’t play his best today. But still, it happens for everybody,” Medvedev said. “I always say the Big Three are the champions because it happens less for them than for other players. It is still tough to beat them, even on their bad days so I am really happy about the win. I am feeling good and confident right now… I knew I had to take my chances and serve good.”

Djokovic will now face Alexander Zverev in a winner-take-all battle, as each man requires a win to advance to the semifinals. Conversely, Medvedev clashes with Diego Schwartzman, who has lost both his matches and will only be playing for Pride on Friday.

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