Erste Bank Open: Daniil Medvedev - When tennis suddenly looks so easy
Daniil Medvedev reached the final of the Erste Bank Open in Vienna without losing a set. The 26-year-old shows excellent tennis in the Austrian capital.
by Nikolaus Fink
last edit: Oct 29, 2022, 09:01 pm
by Nikolaus Fink from the Wiener Stadthalle
It wasn't that long ago that Daniil Medvedev made a rather forlorn impression on the world's tennis courts. The joy of playing that had characterized the Russians for large parts of the previous season was simply no longer there since the lost Australian Open final. But in Vienna everything is different these days.
"I feel great," said Medvedev after his undisputed semi-final win over Grigor Dimitrov. The 26-year-old still hasn't had to give up his serve once at the Erste Bank Open, in the previous four games the US Open winner from 2021 was only confronted with a breakball (against Dominic Thiem).
Cryptic Medvedev
In the recent past he has lost his rhythm in his service, but has recently worked intensively on this stroke with coach Gilles Cervara. "I won't reveal it, but I found something that can help me," said Medvedev somewhat cryptically when asked about tennisnet .
At best, it is clear that Medvedev makes the complicated tennis sport look extremely easy these days. The 26-year-old explained that he had to achieve his maximum performance against Dimitrov in particular: "You constantly feel pressure when you play against Grigor."
Medvedev will be at the ATP Finals
Medvedev no longer has to feel any pressure in the race for the ATP Finals. The fourth in the world rankings has now qualified for the year-end tournament and has thus achieved one of his major goals. If he had had his ticket in his pocket before the Erste Bank Open, he probably wouldn't have come to Vienna at all, says Medvedev.
However, the decision to test his leg again in Vienna after the adductor injury sustained in Astana proved to be spot on for Medvedev. In the final against Denis Shapovalov, the Russian has a chance to win his second title of the season. And to make tennis look so amazingly easy once again.
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Here the individual tableau in Vienna
viennamap