Australian Open: Novak Djokovic after defeating Medvedev for the 9th Melbourne title
Novak Djokovic won the Australian Open in 2021. After a strong performance, he finally beat world number four Daniil Medvedev in three straight sets. (Here you can read the match in our live ticker.)
by Florian Goosmann
last edit: Feb 21, 2021, 11:43 am
This man is (almost) unbeatable in Melbourne: On the spot of his first major win (in 2008), Novak Djokovic won his ninth title "down under" - and his 18th Grand Slam tournament victory.
In an initially high-class match, he defeated Daniil Medvedev 7: 5, 6: 2 and 6: 2 and brought the 25-year-old back to defeat after 20 wins in a row.
There was no sign of an injury at Djokovic. The 33-year-old world number one was injured in his third round match against Taylor Fritz and, according to his own statements, was about to give up, but he was silent about the exact background. In the semifinals he had declared that he would be pain-free again. That was what it looked like in the final.
Djokovic is catching up in the Grand Slam race: Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are still leading with 20th major titles, Djokovic is now just behind with 18 pieces.
Djokovic determines the match from the start
Djokovic got off to a dream start, played aggressively, hit the ball cleanly - unlike Medvedev - and quickly took a 3-0 lead. But Medvedev countered 3: 3 and was the better man at the end of the first set. Djokovic was looking for solutions, at 6: 5 he found them: a quick forehand, a good net attack, a long return, plus a missed chance by Medvedev and a forehand into the net - set lead for the Djoker.
Medvedev didn’t let that get him down, made the break at the beginning of set two, but Djokovic found his return range more and more - including the 1: 1 equalization. Medvedev, however, scattered slight mistakes, Djokovic pulled away to 4-1. And in the end made a break to 6: 2 and to lead the 2-0 set. Medvedev, however, took out his frustration on the bat.
Djokovic pulls the tooth from Medvedev
Medvedev was now mentally battered, a double fault deep into the net at 0: 1 he acknowledged with a desperate “what to do?” Look, Djokovic countered a game ball with a strong return. And made the early break to 2-0.
Medvedev caught himself, however, came back at 4: 2 and 15:30 from Djokovic's point of view, Djokovic got the ball with a backhand counterattack - and got his fist out, as did coach Goran Ivanisevic after this important point. After a long backhand duel, he decided to make it 5-2 and then broke Medvedev again to win.
For Djokovic, the win in 2021 also means the ninth triumph in Melbourne overall, after 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2019 and 2020.
Medvedev is waiting for his first victory in a major. In 2019 he was defeated by Rafael Nadal in five sets in the final of the US Open.
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