"So far nothing reminds the old Daniel": Metreveli on Medvedev's chances at the US Open and the problems of Russian tennis players

- Due to the coronavirus pandemic, tennis players did not go to court from mid-March to late August. Should we expect sensations at the US Open after such a long pause?

- Hard to say. It is difficult to assess the shape of an athlete after six months of standing. Of course, preliminary results can be summed up after the Masters in New York, but nevertheless this is a preparatory tournament, the most important thing will start on Monday. In addition, it is worth remembering that higher ranked players still have some time left before the start of the second week. It is unlikely that any of them will face difficulties in the first rounds. This is primarily due to the fact that many strong tennis players did not make it to the United States at all, hence the weakened composition of the participants. But the more interesting it will be to watch the progress of the competition.

As for the girls, in recent years they have had a leapfrog at all: one wins, then the other, there is no real leader. Therefore, it is even harder to make any predictions here, and the question of favorites remains open. For example, we see that the Belarusian Victoria Azarenka has gained a good shape, she may well show herself. But most likely the main contenders for victory will be those who have already won the tournament once.

- Has anyone already managed to surprise you during the tournament in New York?

- Honestly, so far no one has made a good impression, has not shown a high level of play. Rather, there were disappointments. Stefanos Tsitsipas did not perform very well and lost to Milos Raonic, who gained good shape. Still, it is hardly worth drawing any conclusions from this. The US Open will have completely different weather conditions, heat, five-set matches, empty stands, numerous restrictions. Therefore, tennis players will have to demonstrate their character. The one who best copes with this task will be able to count on success.

- Will the need to comply with a large number of rules also exert psychological pressure on tennis players?

- Yes, they found themselves in special conditions, when there are restrictions even on such an important component as the number of people in the team. And not everyone will be able to adapt to these rules.

The rules are the same for everyone, but who is the best person to deal with this pressure?

- First of all, with experienced players. I think that Novak Djokovic should have no problems with this, therefore he is the first contender for the victory. Of course, I would like someone from the young to give him a fight.

- For example, Daniil Medvedev?

- He played fantastic last year and it will be very difficult for him to confirm this level. Daniel was no longer able to defend his title in Cincinnati, and reaching the final of the US Open is even more difficult. Now he is in a completely different form.

- What is the difference?

- In 2019, he overclocked, participating in several tournaments in a row, and now there is a six-month downtime. In addition, he did not have the most successful start to the season, the Russian was injured after the Australian Open. So far, nothing resembles the old Daniel, but let's hope that he will catch up.

- Assess Medvedev's prospects at the US Open.

- Daniel has fairly simple opponents in the first rounds, he should calmly pass the first week. Then a lot will depend on physical fitness. In any case, it will be interesting to watch him.

- Isn't this connected with the fact that after last year's success, enormous pressure began to be exerted on him, which could not but affect the results?

- Yes, it always happens. It is difficult to achieve success and it is even harder to keep it. Especially considering the competition on the men's tour. Yes, he has a character that helps him to pull himself together at the right moment, but his rivals also have him.

- Medvedev loves to play in public. Do you agree that empty stands may not affect his performance in the best way?

- Who doesn't love? Yes, Daniel had a special relationship with local fans who booed him at first and then began to support him. But in this case, not only he will suffer, because tennis is, in principle, a performance that cannot exist without the audience and their emotions.

- Will the lack of contact with the audience result in aggression towards the opponent or the referees, and accordingly, violation of the rules?

- No, guys like this rarely happen, this is more likely to be expected from girls whose nervous system is arranged a little differently. Therefore, if you participate in such a significant tournament, where big prize money is at stake, you need to take care of yourself.

- Shouldn't the organizers "help" the tennis players and provide artificial noise support at the stadium, as was done at some football matches?

- No, in tennis it is more difficult, because there should be silence during the rallies. And during the breaks, music is playing, the athletes can say something.

- Which of the Russians, besides Medvedev, is able to get to the second week of the US Open?

- It's still difficult for me to evaluate the play of Karen Khachanov or Andrei Rublev. They are both at about the same level - just below Medvedev.

- Has Khachanov matured to remove the "curse" of the third round at the hard Grand Slam tournaments?

- You can ripen up to 40 years. I think that's not the point. There are flaws in his game that have not yet been worked out.

- Why, after successful performances at exhibition tournaments, Rublev failed to show anything in New York?

- Still, this is a frivolous competition, tennis players there often just play the fool. In addition, due to the pandemic, it is difficult to build your training schedule when you do not know what awaits you next, where you will play. Hence, such failures can occur.

- Andrey Kuznetsov will replace Kei Nishikori, who unexpectedly withdrew from the US Open due to the coronavirus. Is this short time enough to get ready for the tournament?

- If the rest of the tennis players had a simple half-year, then Kuznetsov had no playing practice at all. Therefore, you cannot count on him. It will be good if he wins at least one meeting. There are no coincidences in five-set matches. But you can understand it: no tournament can offer you such prize money.

- What, besides youth, can Ekaterina Aleksandrova oppose to the experienced Kim Kleisters?

- I do not think that Catherine has anything at the expense of which she can defeat the Belgian. In general, a paradoxical situation is developing: only in the women's round, an athlete at this age can return twice and beat younger rivals. Therefore, this match is of interest only from this point of view. For more Kleisters may not be enough. But in fairness, it should be noted that none of the Russian women is now ready to show good results.

- Will the motivation to win over one of the best tennis players in the world also play in favor of Alexandrova?

- Motivation alone is not enough here. You need to be technically ready for such a match, but Ekaterina doesn't have that.

- Vera Zvonareva again had problems with Sam Sumik, who led her to the victory in Indian Wells and the bronze in Beijing 2008. How can a tense relationship with a coach affect the performance of a Russian woman?

- That's not the point. Like the rest of the Russians, she cannot expect a good result. But Zvonareva has different goals. She does her job, makes money. It will be great if two or three laps pass, but no more.

- According to Zvonareva, it will be enough for her to get into the first hundred of the rating. Is she able to achieve this goal?

- For women, climbing a hundred is not the most difficult task. Especially considering the fact that at the peak of her career, Vera was in the top ten. Okay, if she gets into the top 100, who will be happy about it besides her?

- Why none of the Russian women manage to stay at a high level for a long time?

- A lot of factors affect, including psychological moments related to personal life. The situation in sports and in the world in general plays an important role. It is difficult for them to oppose something to such recognized authorities as Williams. And it's not just about the game. Naomi Osaka refused to go to court in protest. And everyone supported her. Serena allows herself something for which another girl would simply be torn apart. Of course, this crushes, hinders the development of others. But this is professional women's sports. The problem is also that we do not have such stars as Maria Sharapova, followed by others.

- But in the times of Sharapova there were the same "authorities" as now. How did she manage to become one of the leaders?

- Sharapova is completely different, she is a superstar. She did not pay attention to many things, did not get hung up on her personal life, provided for herself, did not make friends on tour. Maria was on her own, and this brought her success.