[ad_1]
(CNN) – Novak Djokovic delivered a power and precision masterclass to overwhelm Daniil Medvedev in the Australian Open final and claim his 18th Grand Slam title.
The match had all the makings of a classic, particularly after an impressive opening set by both men, but the Serbian World No. 1 soon put his foot down and ran to a 7-5 6-2 6-2 victory in under two hours.
The victory secures a ninth Australian Open title extending the record for Djokovic, who is now just two grand slams from the all-time record of 20 held by Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.
Based on today’s performance, there will be very little bets against him that he will one day equal, or maybe even exceed, that score.
While the match itself may have ended as anticlimactic, the post-match interviews were the complete opposite and showed the deep respect and admiration these two players have for each other.
“Just to tell you a little story guys,” Medvedev said. “I first practiced with Novak when I was 500 in the world or 600 in the world in Monaco and he was already World No. 1, he had just won Wimbledon. I thought, ‘Okay, he’s not going to talk to me’ or something. well, because the boy was a god to me.
“I got there and as I was shy I did not speak, so he asked me questions, he spoke to me as a friend. I was very surprised and it never changed since I was 600 or four years old in the world. You are a great athlete and a great person, so Congratulations “.
Djokovic replied: “I would like to return the good words to Daniil. First of all, act classy. You are a great guy, a great person … We used to spend more time together, we used to practice more in Monaco – – You are not calling me! more in recent years! But it’s good to see that you’re thinking highly of me, thank you very much.
“I really like Daniil as a person off the court. He is great, always very friendly, very outgoing, but on the court he is definitely one of the toughest players I have ever faced in my life. It is a matter of time when you go to celebrate a grand slam that’s for sure … but if you don’t mind waiting a few more years. “
No changing of the guard
This was a riveting showdown between intergenerational talents, with Djokovic, 33, representing the conquering old guard of tennis and Medvedev, 25, the up-and-coming stars who hope to one day dethrone the Serb and his teammates.
According to Sunday’s final, that day still seems distant.
Entering the game, Medvedev had reason to be confident. The World No. 4 was on a 20-game winning streak and is only the sixth active player to accomplish the feat, joining Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and Juan Martin del Potro.
But Djokovic looked imperious from the start, breaking Medvedev in his first service game and defending himself twice with ease to rush to a 3-0 lead. However, playing only in his second Grand Slam final compared to Djokovic’s 28th, Medvedev’s initial nerves soon dissipated and he quickly adapted to his pace.
The turning point in the early stages came when the pair exchanged an impressive 28-shot rally, with Djokovic taking his final shot to the back of the net to give away the Russian breaking point. Medvedev duly capitalized on an impressive defensive play to force Djokovic to make another mistake and the first set was soon tied.
Just a few minutes earlier, it felt like the Serb was going on the run with the first set, but suddenly the momentum was with Medvedev.
The pair went head-to-head until Medvedev served to stay on set at 5-6. As he usually does at crucial moments, Djokovic went one step further, finding extra length and power in his returns to break his opponent’s serve and close out a very close first set.
This was the eighth meeting between these two great hitters, with Djokovic beating head-to-head 4-3, and it had all the ingredients to be their best match to date.
However, after Medvedev appeared to recover well from that initial disappointment by breaking Djokovic in the opening game of the second set, he soon collapsed and in the blink of an eye was two sets down.
There seemed to be very little the world No. 4 could do to prevent the onslaught and Medvedev’s racket took the brunt of his frustration when he smashed it to the floor of Rod Laver’s arena.
While Medvedev undoubtedly has the talent to compete with Djokovic (indeed, an impressive drop shot in the third set elicited applause even from his opponent), the experience and mental stamina needed in times of adversity in the Grand Slam finals still remain. seem to be missing.
To Medvedev’s credit, he was eager to come down with a flourish and hit some impressive ground shots as Djokovic tried to close out the match.
However, the world No. 1 proved he was still a notch above Sunday’s opponent and closed off any late hope Medvedev might have been winning with a flurry of impressive punches.
This story was first published on CNN.com, “Novak Djokovic defeats Daniil Medvedev in Australian Open final to claim 18th Grand Slam title”
[ad_2]
