Daniil Medvedev ended Novak Djokovic’s perfect start to the season at the Dubai Tennis Championships as he defeated world number 1 to set up a title clash with Russian star Andrey Rublev.
From the first ball, Medvedev was committed, winning 6-4, 6-4 to stretch his winning streak to 13 games. The third seed took up a position far behind the baseline to divert Djokovic’s ball-striking. Medvedev committed only 12 unforced mistakes as opposed to Djokovic’s 38. The match was ultimately won by him after 1 hour, 35 minutes of play thanks to his quick movements across the court while pursuing several drop drops.
In February, the 27-year-old won titles at the tour level in Rotterdam and Doha. When he takes on Andrey Rublev in the final on Saturday, he will look to win his 18th tour-level championship and 17th on hard courts.
Djokovic had trouble maintaining a rhythm when playing Medvedev. In the opening set, he attempted to pressure Medvedev’s deep court return position by serving and volleying, but he found it difficult to pull it off. In the second set, he unleashed an all-out assault on Medvedev, striking with force and precision. He tried to hit through the third seed, who was acting like a brick wall, but he was unsuccessful.
“When you play against Novak you just have to play your best. Kind of hope he doesn’t play his best on the day because when he plays his best, well he has 22 Grand Slams, so even if you play your best, it is going to be tough, not sure you win,” Medvedev stated.