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Zverev, Medvedev, Tsitsipas, Thiem and the "Signature Win"

While Dominic Thiem and Stefanos Tsitsipas beat at least two of the big three in the majors, Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Zverev are still waiting for such a sense of achievement.

by Jens Huiber
last edit: Feb 24, 2021, 09:07 am

Novak Djokovic didn't give Daniil Medvedev a chance
© Getty Images
Novak Djokovic didn't give Daniil Medvedev a chance

The really big tests these days only come at Grand Slam tournaments: The Davis Cup has renounced the best-of-five format, who knows how long the most traditional team competition in tennis will be around. In Melbourne, Paris, London and New York City, on the other hand, they still play the full distance. Big comebacks are still possible and desired - seen in the latest edition of the Australian Open: Under “normal” circumstances, Rafael Nadal would have had a solid two-set win against Stefanos Tsitsipas. The Greek, however, made the comeback, only as the second player in a major against Nadal (the first was Fabio Fognini at the US Open 2015).

Tsitsipas achieved something that the American likes to describe as a “signature win”: a victory that defines a career, that shows the possibilities of a player (or a team). For Stefanos Tsitsipas it was already the second of its kind: in 2019 he defeated Roger Federer , also in Melbourne. Novak Djokovic is still missing, on whom Tsitsipas was allowed to try his hand at a Grand Slam tournament - and lost in five sets in the semifinals in Roland Garros last autumn.

Wawrinka beats Djokovic three times

Djokovic, Nadal, Federer - these are the players you can land a signature win against. And basically you have to if you want to win one of the four big titles. Stan Wawrinka first defeated Djokovic in Melbourne in 2014, later Nadal, in the 2015 finals in Roland Garros and in 2016 at the US Open each Djokovic. Andy Murray also had to defeat the now 18-time Grand Slam champion in New York in 2012 and in Wimbledon in 2013.

Only Dominic Thiem 2020 at the US Open and Murray 2016 at Wimbledon came to their titles without a win against one of the Big Three. But the Austrian has already shown that he will play against Djokovic (twice at the French Open - Thiem's "signature win" was certainly the semifinals in 2019, which lasted five sets and two days) and Nadal (2020 at the Australian Open) can win a major. Even if not yet in a final.

Thiem, Zverev, Medvedev never against Federer

This proof is still pending for Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Zverev. Medvedev went down in the final of the Australian Open 2021 from the middle of the second set against Djokovic without a sound. Against Rafael Nadal, the Russian made it into a fifth set at the US Open in 2019. In which he had a good chance of winning.

Like Alexander Zverev a few days ago in Melbourne against Djokovic. The German number one lost the quarter-finals as well as the one in Roland Garros 2019. The last meeting with Rafael Nadal at a Grand Slam tournament was four years ago, at the Australian Open 2017 the Spaniard had asserted himself in five sets.

However: The samples are still quite clear: Neither Zverev, Thiem nor Medvedev have so far played against Roger Federer in a major. And to be able to run against Nadal and Djokovic, you have to go to at least the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam tournament. The top ten players succeed in doing this more and more often. But not yet with the consistency of the Big Three.

by Jens Huiber

Wednesday
Feb 24, 2021, 09:55 am
last edit: Feb 24, 2021, 09:07 am