Paris (AFP)
Daniil Medvedev, 4th in the world, won Sunday in Shanghai his second Masters 1000 in a row, after Cincinnati, beating easily in the final Alexander Zverev 6-4, 6-1 in 1h13.
"What a night!" Exclaimed the 23-year-old Russian, who has won three of six tournaments he has played since Wimbledon.
In addition to Cincinnati and Shanghai, he also won the ATP 250 in St. Petersburg. In the other three, he arrived in the finals: Washington (ATP 500), Montreal (Masters 1000) and the US Open (Grand Slam).
He is the player to win the most matches (59) this year.
"You're probably the best player in the world right now, you're in six finals in a row, why not nine ... you're really the best," said Zverev (21), who had never lost there against Medvedev in 4 confrontations.
On Sunday, Medvedev went straight into the game, unlike his opponent, and broke 3-0. The German has gradually found its marks and broken to return to 3-2 and 3-3. But he offered the set on two double faults in a row, his first two of the match.
In the wake, the Russian made the break 2-0 on a game where Zverev led 40-0. He has never been threatened again.
At the end of this tournament, Medvedev moved to third place before Federer in the Race, this ranking on the year which determines the eight best players qualified for the Masters of London (10-17 November). The place of the Russian is acquired, but Zverev, who had won the Masters last year, is not there yet.
The German is 7th in the Race, ahead of Matteo Berrettini. Both players are qualified in the current state, but still with the program including the last Masters 1000 of the year, in Paris (28 October-3 November), they are threatened by five players still in the race.
It is Roberto Bautista (9th), overtaken by Berrettini thanks to his half in Shanghai, David Goffin (10th), Fabio Fognini (11th), Kei Nishikori (12th), who is injured and has not played since US Open, and Gael Monfils (13th).
© 2019 AFP