"Young people know about the weaknesses of Djokovic and Nadal": Metreveli on the ATP Final Tournament and the chances of Medvedev and Rublev

- A year ago, when Daniil Medvedev played in the season finale, could you have assumed that in a year someone else from the Russians would join him?

- Probably yes.

All young tennis players play so smoothly that it is difficult to say which of them will pass and who will not.

It all depends on who is a little better prepared and who is a little worse.

- Who would you select from the participants in the ATP Final Tournament?

- I think that now Medvedev, who won the Masters in Paris, and Rublev, who has been playing great all season, will have good chances now.

Perhaps, Alexander Zverev has not yet said the last word, he played well at the end of the year.

But in general, players with equal forces will gather.

The season was so unpredictable that it is difficult to say how events will develop.

Of these eight, anyone can win.

- What added Andrei Rublev, which allowed him to enter the final eight, and even without taking into account the injury of Roger Federer?

- He added in all respects.

Confidence appeared in him, he became much more stable, he stopped making mistakes as before.

Thanks to this, Rublev won the most tournaments this year.

The results show that he is in good shape and plays well.

- If you look at the statistics of personal meetings between Rublev and other participants, it is not very good.

Will it make any difference in London?

- No, none.

I repeat, now the line-up is very even; anyone can get the title.

- And the fact that Rublev plays well on closed hard?

He won 13 matches and suffered just two losses this season.

- For players, these statistics are also unimportant.

It is wrong to rely on some numbers.

Rublev plays well on all surfaces.

In this regard, he should not have problems.

- Rublev will start the tournament with a match with Rafael Nadal.

Will it be convenient for him to start like this in his first-ever ATP Final Tournament?

- It will be a round robin tournament, so he will not lose any chances in case of failure.

Rublyov may well become the second, although there are chances for the first place.

I would say that Nadal is not playing in the best way now, judging by the last performances.

- Do you have a feeling that Nadal is not very interested in the ATP Final tournament?

He has never won, he hasn't made it to the final since 2013 ...

- It's not that this tournament doesn't matter to him.

Nadal just gets tired by the end of the season.

He plays very energy-consuming tennis and goes to great lengths in every match.

In recent years, he played almost the entire season until the end, naturally, he was not always enough for the Final Tournament, moreover, some injuries made themselves felt.

It just worked out for Nadal.

- Medvedev, after the US Open semifinals, could not return to his high level for a long time.

Did you expect him to do it by the end of the season?

- The tournament in Paris was the last for him.

It is good that Medvedev won, because this is the groundwork not only for the competition in London, but also for the next year.

This is much more important.

If he finished the season badly, then the beginning of the next one would probably not have been very good for him.

- Medvedev will play in a round-robin tournament with Zverev and Diego Schwartzman, whom he just beat in Paris.

Is it comfortable for tennis players to play with those they recently defeated?

- No, all the previous meetings are irrelevant.

But still, I would like to note that for Shvartsman, playing on indoor hard-surface courts is the worst option.

He looks better outdoors and on slow courts.

If anything can cause him inconvenience, then these are the conditions in which the next ATP Final Tournament will take place.

- The draw divided Medvedev and Rublev into different groups.

Will this be a plus for both Russians?

- Of course, the guys were lucky.

It is one thing to play with each other in a group, but quite another thing is already in the semifinals.

It will be great if this happens, there will be more interest in the meeting at this stage.

For athletes from one country, matches are becoming more important.

Fans are better off cheering for one or the other.

It's better for Daniel and Andrey to really play in different groups.

- You say that the composition of the Final Tournament participants will be equal.

But doesn't Novak Djokovic stand out from the general group?

- No, the fact of the matter is that he does not stand out now, like Nadal.

They have experience, and through it, they can show what they are capable of, but in general they are not as good this season as they were in previous years.

Maybe age affects or injury.

In such an incomplete season, one cannot talk about some kind of planned preparation, this also leaves an imprint.

Djokovic and Nadal have weaknesses that young guys have known for a long time.

They surpass Novak and Rafael in speed, it becomes more difficult for older tennis players to play.

- This season Karen Khachanov could not show himself brightly.

What is the reason for this?

- He has a lot of technical flaws.

If he can fix them, he will go to the next level.

Karen has excellent physical characteristics, even better than other tennis players.

But technology does not allow for success.

After all, it also affects tactics, the ability to show various tennis.

The lack of technology immediately limits the possibilities in the game.

Khachanov will now have enough time to prepare for the new season.

It is possible that soon he will catch up with the leaders, there are chances for this.