The taste of victory has returned to the hands of daniel medvedev. The former world No. 1 lifted the 16th ATP Tour title of his career at the ABN AMRO Open on Sunday, defeating Italian Jannik Sinner 5-7, 6-2, 6-2 to establish his authority in the indoor track in Rotterdam.
«The match has been mentally very tough for both of them,» Medvedev acknowledged. «Jannik dominated the beginning of the first set, but we were playing very long points that always ended with some mistake from me. He felt a little heavy in the legs.
At the beginning of the second set I said to myself ‘something is wrong, he is playing better than me, I need to change details because everything is even’ So I started to be more direct with some shots. I was able to follow that line in the second set and mentally push him until the end of the match.»
In a vibrant final before the Dutch public, two of the players most accustomed to high-paced matches faced each other. Sinner’s foot speed matched Medvedev’s tactical prowess, resulting in a trade match not for the faint of heart.
Sinner attended the match with the mission of breaking the defense of an impossible rival for the first time. The Italian jumped onto the track unleashed, ready to knock down a real wall at the back of the track. And the first sleeve was a clear example of the hard slope that he was about to overcome.
Although he caught the set, he had to watch as Medvedev turned 1-4 into 4-4, putting a clear threat on the table. Daniil’s intentions became clear when he finished the match. Gilles Cervara’s pupil, one of the locker room’s greatest survivors, managed to turn the score around with unprecedented confidence, taking the last two sets without delivering his serve again.
Medvedev is known for his different gestures
Daniil Medvedev is known for his different gestures and unique celebrations after winning matches and tournaments. «That was quite funny, but it turned out to be a positive thing,» Daniil Medvedev said in his post-match conference, referring to his new celebration.
«Before the tournament, my coach has to tell me something, I wasn’t feeling good in terms of my tennis. He told me, ‘Just, you know, keep going,'» Medvedev explained. «During the first match, especially after the first set, I showed him that if I continue like this it’s going to be 6-4, 6-4 for the guy because I just lost the first set 6-4,» Medvedev expressed. .
