Nadal is the King of New York - Medvedev establishes himself as Crown Prince
After his five-set victory in New York, even the great fighter Rafael Nadal was shaken by tears. Loser Medvedev is a man of the future.
by Jörg Allmeroth
last edit: Sep 09, 2019, 12:07 pm
And finally, after a wild roller coaster ride over four hours and 51 minutes and 341 points, the 7: 5, 6: 3, 5: 7, 4: 6, 6: 4 victory against the 23-year-old adversary from Moscow. “It was one of the most emotional, hardest matches of my life. And one of the greatest victories, "said Nadal later," that will remain unforgettable. "
When the highlights of his major career, a chronology of 19 victories, were shown on the big video screens a few minutes after the transformed match ball, it was all about mastery of the Grand Slam ruler: agitated, he buried his head in his hands and lowered it the view was shaken by tears. "It was just too much. I don't like to show such feelings in public, ”said the matador, a rather shy, reserved representative away from his Center Court combat zone.
With his second Grand Slam victory this season, the seventh major success on hard courts or grass, the 33-year-old Mallorcan now came close to his eternal opponent, the Swiss friend Maestro Roger Federer. Federer, who has had no Grand Slam success this season, has stayed with his 20 trophies while Nadal and Djokovic have struck twice, Djokovic in Melbourne and Wimbledon, Nadal in Paris and New York.
The new hit list was now, cut-off date 2019: Federer 20, Nadal 19, Djokovic 16. And the rest of the world: First of all, he had to wait for the first victory, Stan Wawrinka was still the last one, who was beyond the big three won in New York in 2016.
"My heart left in the square"
But as simple as this story might sound after the 2019 American Open Championships, namely with the continued dominance of the extraordinary gentlemen - it wasn't that easy. With Medvedev, this summer and at the last Grand Slam of the season, a veritable contender for future great deeds.
How the Russian changed from the booed bogeyman to the celebrated elite competitor in the Big Apple, how he shook off his tiredness again and again after a stressful tournament marathon before the US Open, and how that was until he was completely exhausted, against all doubts and self-doubts, a fascinating one Catching up against Nadal offered, all of this now catapulted him into the role of the highlighted pursuer of the leadership trio. "I showed my heart out here on the square," said Medvedev on Sunday evening with a stormy cheer from the fans. No doubt: Despite his defeat, he remained the man of the hour, the man with the most victories of the season (50), the man who fired the fantasy of changing the guard like no other, the advance of younger professionals to the summit.
Nadal: "Daniil belongs to the future"
The protagonists of a major duel like to say that they gave and left everything on the pitch. But when was it really more true than in this 291-minute drama in the New York madhouse - and above all to a man that the vast majority of sports fans didn't really know a few months ago. But that Daniil Medvedev played, fought and fought at eye level with the ultimate match player Nadal, he never missed a trick, no trick, no punch. And he only really started when he actually seemed beaten, with two sets and one break behind: "I had already considered what I would say at the ceremony," Medvedev later explained. In the fifth set, with a 1-0 lead, he was even close with three breakballs to commit a total U-turn.
But Nadal fended off the attack, again here and now, in an almost symbolic act. But he too knew what had struck the hour that night, which at first glance had not brought about a change in the structure of power. "Daniil belongs to the future," said the champion. Or maybe the present very soon.