Devil's dozen: Medvedev lost to Djokovic in the 13th face-to-face meeting and did not make it to the final of the tournament in Adelaide

Daniil Medvedev lost to Novak Djokovic and failed to reach the final of the tournament in Adelaide.

The meeting of the former first rackets of the world ended with a score of 6:3, 6:4 in favor of the Serbian tennis player.

In the decisive match, the 20-time Grand Slam winner will play with the American Sebastian Korda.

Medvedev, for the first time since August 2019, will lose the title of the first racket of Russia.

In the updated ATP rating, which will be published on Monday, he will drop to eighth line, two positions below compatriot Andrei Rublev.

But, despite all this, the start of the season for Medvedev as a whole can be called successful.

Throughout the tournament, he demonstrated a stable serve, good movement on the court, as well as calmness even at critical moments for himself.

“Both Djokovic and Medvedev are favorites for the upcoming Australian Open.

They are in perfect order, ”said Andrey Chesnokov, a well-known tennis player in the past.

Before meeting with the Serb, the most difficult test in Adelaide for Daniil was, surprisingly, the first round match with Lorenzo Sonego.

The Italian came up to a meeting with a more eminent opponent who was maximally charged for the fight and literally pulled Medvedev with frequent exits to the net and sharp blows from the forehand.

In the first set, the Russian had to play nine set points: as Daniil noted after the match, this happened to him for the first time in his career.

As a result, the game dragged on for almost an hour and a half and ended in a tie-break, in which luck was on the side of the third racket of the tournament.

And in the second set, the struggle did not continue: after three games, Sonego withdrew due to convulsions.

Daniil won the next two matches without much effort.

In the second round, he defeated Serb Miomir Kitsmanovich (6:0, 6:3), and in the third round, compatriot Karen Khachanov (6:3, 6:3).

But the match against Djokovic could not be easy by definition.

Prior to this semi-final, the ex-top rackets of the world played each other 12 times, and the Serb had a two-fold advantage in the number of victories - 8 to 4. The last time Daniil got the better of Novak was in the epoch-making final of the US Open 2021, but then lost to him three times in a row.

And, as Medvedev himself recalled, at various tournaments in Australia he met with Djokovic three times and did not win a single victory.

Unfortunately for the 26-year-old native of Moscow, he failed to reverse this unfortunate trend this time either.

Medvedev started the meeting powerfully, demonstrating a high level of the first serve, but the opponent was ready for this.

At the reception, the Serb played, if not flawlessly, then quite close to it, depriving the Russian of one of the main trump cards.

Already with the score 2:1 in the first game, Djokovic made a break, and Daniil himself helped him in this, having made a double fault at the most inopportune moment.

The only chance to return his serve to the Russian presented himself with a score of 2:4, but Novak completed the draw in his favor with a sharp blow from the right along the line.

After the game subsequently won, the Serb called a physiotherapist to the court: he was worried about his left leg, which he pulled a little earlier, unsuccessfully slowing down during the rally.

A simple consultation with a specialist did not help, and Djokovic was taken to a room under the stands. 

After the medical break, the game continued, but it was clear that the Serb still feels a little discomfort when moving.

However, this did not stop him from performing killer serves.

One of these, with a speed of more than 200 km / h, Novak put an end to the first set - 6:3.

The second batch followed a similar scenario.

To win the 21-time winner of the Grand Slam tournaments, the only break was enough, which he made in the seventh game, making the score 4:3 in his favor.

Medvedev, on the other hand, failed to realize any of the two chances to return the serve and lost 4:6.

After the game, the Russian said that it was not shameful to lose in such a match, because, in his opinion, Djokovic is the best tennis player in the world at the moment, despite the fact that Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz occupies the first line of the ATP rating.

Nevertheless, Daniil admitted that he was slightly disappointed with the defeat, although in general the game was positive.

“It’s a little annoying, but there is a plus in this.

Today I felt just great, and this is a positive moment for the Australian Open.

But despite such a great mood, I lost.

This is a small minus.

<...> Sometimes the situation on the court becomes difficult, and the challenge is beyond your strength.

This is what happened today.

I failed this test.

Going against him next time, I will try again, ”said the Russian.

In addition, Medvedev expressed hope that he would not have to face Djokovic in the early stages of the Australian Open, which kicks off on January 16.

“But even if this happens, I will try to give my best, to perform better - as it happened before when I played against him,” the tennis player emphasized.

According to Olympic champion Elena Vesnina, the Russian should not worry about the defeat, as Djokovic traditionally shows incredible tennis at the beginning of the season in Australia.

“I do not think that this is some kind of wake-up call for Medvedev.

Daniil needs time to get in optimal shape, after all, it was the first tournament of the season.

There is still time before the Australian Open.

It’s even good that a face-to-face match took place right now.

Now Medvedev understands what form Djokovic is in and what it is necessary to prepare for, ”the former Championship athlete quotes.