“Fight so as not to be ashamed”: Vesnina about the battle of nerves in the Australian Open final, Medvedev’s emotions and Nadal’s experience

- For Daniil Medvedev, the Australian Open final will be only the fourth in his career, while for Rafael Nadal it will be the 29th.

But many, due to age, consider the Russian to be the favorite.

Do you agree?

- If you take the latest results, then, probably, you can say so.

In addition, he is the reigning champion of the last Grand Slam Tournament at the moment - the US Open.

But this is nothing more than a rating.

The experience of playing at this level, of course, is on the side of Nadal, who, as we all know, is on his way to his 21st TBS victory.  

- On whose side, in your opinion, will the mental superiority turn out to be, the hardened Nadal or the thirsty Medvedev for success?

- A huge role will be played by who in what condition will approach the final.

And it's not even about freshness, but about physical recovery.

We understand that on the way to the decisive confrontation, both played six matches.

On Sunday, they are waiting for the seventh, the most important.

We must also not forget that in the quarterfinals both Rafael and Daniil had the hardest five-sets, which took a lot of strength.

I think Medvedev should enter the court in the best condition.

Age is not just a word.

Yes, the Spaniard is in phenomenal physical shape, but he is already 35 years old, which means that it will take more time to recover.

That is why, in my opinion, it is extremely important for a Russian to take the first set.

And even if it takes five games to determine the best, Daniel will survive.

Plus, tennis players in such tournaments, as a rule, can not do without various injuries.

So we are talking about very thin ice.

But I would like Medvedev to win.

Moreover, last year he already reached the final of the Australian Open, but lost to the first racket Novak Djokovic.

Now he is more than ever ready for this success.

- Can Medvedev face excessive excitement on the eve of the final?

Yet the whole world will follow him, while Nadal is no stranger to such pressure.

- Believe me, even at this level, it is always present, and it doesn’t matter what final of the TBSH you hold.

Do you think that Nadal, who has won everything in his career, is not worried?

Nothing like this.

He will also be "pounded".

But once on the court, as a professional you have to focus on what you do best - play tennis.

In no case should you think about how everything will turn out, although psychologically it is not easy.

In this regard, it's great that Dani has a victory over Djokovic at the US Open.

She will give him self-confidence and at decisive moments add composure.

- What is Medvedev's chance in the confrontation with the Spaniard, if we talk directly about the game?

- Firstly, he knows how to act on long draws and knows how to counter them.

Nadal one hundred percent will constantly drag the opponent into them.

Secondly, Dani has one of the best serves on the Tour.

In my opinion, in this component he surpasses Raphael.

Summing up, it is important for a Russian to maintain his line in terms of tactics and serve competently.

It is the pitch that will be the factor that will bring him the lion's share of relatively easy points.

If each draw drags on for 20-30 hits, you simply don’t have time to recover.

When you serve an ace, there is at least a slight pause.

- Who, in your opinion, will try to act as the first number, or will both athletes prefer to wait for the opponent's mistake?

- It is hard to say.

Danya is a very interesting multifaceted tennis player.

He can enter the court and play from the opponent.

He is ready to wait for an error and move three or four meters behind the back line, defending against more powerful opponents, or, on the contrary, go forward.

I think in the final of the Australian Open we will see more of a struggle of nerves.

It will be important for Medvedev to find a place on the court where he will feel more comfortable.

- You said that the match would be a struggle of nerves, but the Russians periodically have problems with them.

For example, in the semi-finals with Stefanos Tsitsipas, he lashed out at the judge.

He has such a temperament.

Danya is quick-tempered, he always wants justice to be heard.

Unfortunately, there's nothing you can do about it.

Excessive emotions can interfere with him, and Medvedev himself knows this very well.

He runs the risk of walking on thin ice.

He didn't want to be pissed off by some little thing, a minor distraction.

It will be important to keep the focus on the game from start to finish.

When you go to win the Grand Slam tournament, nothing should distract you.

We understand everything - nerves.

Sometimes I want to let off steam, but you need to feel the edge.

Dana is allowed to throw a racket or shout, but he must keep his head cold.

Don't give in to provocations.

- Due to better physical fitness, can Medvedev have an advantage in power?

- I can’t say that Danya is more powerful.

He's just younger.

Hence the better movement than Nadal.

But we all know about the incredible fighting qualities of Rafa.

After all, he is able to take over in those meetings where no one is betting on him.

From somewhere inside, he pulls out his incredible blow, circles the opponent at the net, being almost in the room under the stands.

That is why he is a great champion.

And in order to beat him, you need to come up physically ready for this test.

I think at the moment they are absolutely equal.

Yes, one has a better pitch and is younger, while the other has incredible experience.

But in general, picking a favorite is unrealistic.

- In the event of a victory over Nadal, will it be possible to say that the Russian is able to remove Djokovic from the top of the ATP rankings

- I would not say that Daniel is ready to dominate the Tour.

It is difficult to judge, because we did not see the main favorite and the reigning champion of the Australian Open.

For now, we can only guess.

Of course, the Russian is capable of taking first place in the ATP rankings, the question is: how long will he stay at the top?

I think he is ready to become the best tennis player in the world and has already proved this with his victories and stability for three years.

Danya is in the top, and his opponents fear and respect him.

But it is too early to compare Medvedev with Nadal and Djokovic.

To do this, you have to go a long way.

- You yourself played in the finals of the TBSH and won three times in them.

What advice can you give Medvedev?

With what mood should you go to court?

Daniel doesn't need my advice.

But the most important thing is to keep calm and composure, not to be distracted.

You should be like in a "balloon" and see only the ball, and maybe even a coach in the stands.

You need to stay focused and fight to the end.

Believe me, no one will give you anything in the TBS finals.

There, every point will have to gnaw and rip off the legs in the blood.

This is a real battlefield.

- Doesn't Medvedev run the risk of "burning out" psychologically in this case?

- Everything is possible, but Daniel is a very smart and thinking athlete.

From his actions on the court, you can see how he reflects on each draw, how he cunningly builds tactics.

I'm sure he will properly prepare himself for the confrontation with Nadal.

Again, no need to beat yourself up.

Everyone knows what is at stake, so why burden yourself with unnecessary thoughts?

There is a little trick: do not think that this is the final.

Just fight so that after the meeting is over you will not be ashamed.

Danya should be completely satisfied with the way he gave his all.