His style of play may not be the most elegant, but Daniil Medvedev (24) has reached the middle of the world class since his success this fall. After winning the 1000 tournament in Paris-Bercy, he also remains undefeated in the ATP finals in London and gets the title and the coveted trophy.
It was a very cool show: When he used his first ball in the final against Dominic Thiem (27) from Austria after two hours and 42 minutes, the 1.98-meter Russian made a straight face. He runs to the front of the net to receive the opponent’s congratulations and sits on his bench, seemingly without emotion.
“I asked for other players”
One is accustomed to different emotional outbursts than one in the past. The “bear” – this is his nickname, not because of his attitude but because of his last name – made repeated mistakes in the choice of words and verbally abused the judges. Today’s world number four also liked to match the fans, or let his anger get to the rackets. All the things that do not make him a favorite of the public. But he does not seem to care much. For example, when he whistled for a victory in the Platz interview in 2019, he said: “Just keep going, your energy only makes me stronger and I won thanks to you. Remember that when you sleep tonight. “
It caused a sensation in 2019 with a remarkable interview with the British newspaper “Metro”. He revealed how he thought about Roger Federer (39) at a young age: “I hated Roger. I just could not watch him again and again. I was celebrating for the other players from the first round because I had this attitude. “Medvedev even needed a psychologist. He managed to get the 24-year-old calmer. Almost very quiet on the tennis court.
In a few weeks, the first Grand Slam tournament of the 2021 season will take place in Melbourne. Federer has announced that he will return to the Australian Open after a long break. So it is very likely that the paths of the two will cross there. Federer and Medvedev have played each other three times, always with the best ending for the Swiss. The Russians could only win one set in the direct matches. He would love to change something about this balance sheet.
“Dangerous to players’ health”
However, there is a big question mark behind this Australian Open right now. The ongoing crown pandemic bothers the organizers. The tournament is scheduled to start on January 18. Players are not allowed to arrive before January 1st and must chant for 14 days upon arrival. This is what the latest Koran virus regulations in Victoria – the state hosting the Australian Open – want. For the players this means that under these conditions they will not have any training opportunities on the field before the start of the tournament.
Medvedev believes that it endangers the health of the players. “I do not complain that it is boring or nothing. It’s just that leaving the room after 14 days without doing anything and then immediately playing five sets would be really dangerous to the health of any athlete in my opinion. I do not think anyone will be able to go there if they have to stay in the room for 14 days in advance. If we are not able to train during the quarantine just before the tournament, I do not think the tournament will take place. “
At the moment there is obviously the possibility of postponing the tournament until February or even March. The organizers are covered that this is pure speculation. (sst)
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