• Semifinal.Medvedev is a stone

The verdict of Rafa Nadal, always restrained before any final, was most eloquent. "He is the player in the best form of the whole tour and with more victories throughout the year," he revealed about Daniil Medvedev, the protagonist of a dream summer. No less than 20 wins and only two defeats on the American asphalt, where the biggest challenge now awaits.

The 23-year-old Russian links the four finals of the tour (Washington, Canada, Cincinatti and New York), a milestone so far within the reach of two legends such as Ivan Lendl (1982) and Andre Agassi (1995). "I must say that I love the US," said Medvedev after his semifinal against Grigor Dimitrov, settled in three sets.

Gone are your ugly gestures to a ball boy and the harrow during his third round duel against Feliciano López. They also seem forgotten the discomfort in the quadriceps of the left leg that made alarms jump in the quarterfinals in front of Stan Wawrinka.

The Montreal precedent

In total, 37 wins on the hard surface, with only two disappointments in the finals. In Washington he gave in to Nick Kyrgios (7-6 [6], 7-6 [4]) and in Montreal to Nadal himself (6-3, 6-0). That sad precedent, with only 70 minutes and 22 unforced errors, must now spur Gilles Cervara's ward.

"He ate me on the track and never let me breathe. He was stronger, faster and I just went down," remembered the Muscovite, which accumulates 50 wins in 2019, four more than Nadal and seven more than Roger Federer. However, his zero experience in these instances of a Grand Slam can play against him again. Especially when in front is Nadal.

"It's a machine, a beast"

After giving up Cincinnati to take care of his physique, the Spaniard links 11 victories without strikeout on American cement. "It's a machine, a beast on the track. The energy it shows is simply incredible," summarizes Medvedev, the youngest finalist since Novak Djokovic, who was also 23 years old when he yielded in the 2010 final against Nadal. In case of triumph, the Russian would become the youngest champion of the last decade after Juan Martín del Potro, who was 20 years old when he raised the cup in 2009.

No matter what happens on Sunday, Medvedev will beat Dominic Thim and take fourth place in the ATP ranking. A meteoric ascent for a tennis player who had closed 2018 in 16th place and 2017 in the 65th step.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

Know more

  • sports
  • tennis
  • US Open

US Open Nadal's long idyll with New York

US OpenRafa Nadal: "Winning in Montreal has helped me"

US OpenNick Kyrgios recalls after accusing the ATP of being "quite corrupt"