ATP Finals: Medvedev vs. Thiem, it is no coincidence, and better than the “end of dreams”? – Sports

Not Djokovic against Nadal, but Thiem against Medvedev is the final of the ATP Finals. A look to the future?

It’s the old ATP Tour song: on the one hand the “big 3” Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, on the other the generation proclaimed as the changing of the guard around Dominic Thiem, Alexander Zverev, Daniil Medwedew and Stefanos Tsitsipas .

The usual picture emerged at this year’s Grand Slam tournaments: under normal circumstances there is (yet) no way to beat the veterans. Djokovic triumphed in Melbourne, Nadal in Paris.

Thiem’s ​​main title failed?

Federer and Nadal were absent from the US Open in New York, Djokovic removed himself from the decision with his disqualification. The way was clear for a new winner. In this case, Thiem won, having previously lost three important finals against Nadal (2x) and Djokovic.

Especially in the final of the Australian Open this year, the Austrian Djokovic had demanded everything, but had to admit defeat in 5 sets. It was a similar story for Medvedev at the 2019 US Open, when he lost to Nadal in a memorable final.

At this year’s ATP Finals, however, the challengers turned the tables and proved, at least in the person of Thiem and Medvedev, that they can not only keep up with the established, but also win.

The Austrian defeated Nadal 7: 6, 7: 6 in an upper class match in the group stage. Medvedev even gave Djokovic a lesson in the other group in 6: 3, 6: 3.

In Saturday’s semi-finals, the two continued their masterpiece by defeating Nadal and Djokovic in three sets each to avoid the “dream final”. Thus, in Sunday’s final between Medvedev and Thiem a new ATP champion will be chosen.

Now it can be argued that the ATP Finals of recent years have always produced a new surprise winner with Zverev, Tsitsipas or Grigor Dimitrov. But this year, in which numerous tournaments were canceled due to the crown pandemic, all the players started as fresh as almost never at the end of the year.

Seen this way, the 2020 edition should certainly offer a perspective for the years ahead. And it doesn’t matter if Thiem or Medvedev win the race: there can be no surprise winner.