With the strong Medvedev / Thiem duo, Federer’s chances of success diminish



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Roger Federer looks to an uncertain sporting future.

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The 2020 tennis season is over. Not only Corona left the label on the ATP tour this year. It’s also clear: the air at the top is getting thinner for the scene’s former dominators.

The last major title was won by Daniil Medvedev in the ATP Finals on Sunday. The Russian defeated Austrian Dominic Thiem in three sets in a thrilling final.

The two delivered spectacular rallies at the highest level. Thiem beat the winners of all positions, Medvedev made life difficult for his opponent with his unorthodox game as always. In the end, the eight break balls rejected in the third round didn’t help the nervous Thiem either, Medvedev made the decisive break.



The mental strength of the finalists was impressive to watch. Having cool blood in the crucial moments turns normal players into champions of the sport. In addition to the 27-year-old US Open winner Thiem, who has the best direct record against men’s tennis dominators (Federer, Nadal and Djokovic) in the past two years, the scammed Medvedev has now certainly tasted blood.

Highlight: Medvedev beats Thiem in final

Daniil Medvedev crowns his excellent November form with the ATP Finals title. The 24-year-old wins the final against Dominic Thiem – as in the semifinals against Rafael Nadal – despite a deficit set.

23.11.2020

There are many factors that speak against Federer

In the group stage, he defeated world number 1 Novak Djokovic clearly in straight sets. In the semifinals he fell behind by a set against Rafael Nadal before defeating the Spanish. In the final he regained a set behind against number 3. A tennis professional had never managed to beat the top three in the world rankings at the ATP Finals since 1973.

“I think it’s great for tennis. We are beginning to find our way »- Medvedev

The 24-year-old pushed Federer out of fourth place in the world rankings before London. The Swiss competed in his last serious fight on January 20, 2020 (loss in the semifinals to Djokovic). The 39-year-old also wants to return to Melbourne. The long absence will be remarkable, says former lead player Greg Rusedski: “You won’t get to see the guy from 2017.”



Indeed, it will be a tough road for the 20-time Grand Slam winner to get back into the top 3. In 784 weeks, Federer was always on the podium. With Thiem and Medvedev, in addition to their two arch-rivals Djokovic and Nadal, they have overtaken two new competitors who shouldn’t give up their place at the front so quickly. And behind them, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev, put pressure on two other young players who have qualities for the highest.

“We have shown that we can beat the legends and win the big tournaments” – Thiem



Federer’s long-awaited return turns into a Herculean task. You have to be confident of getting through the first few laps with as little energy as possible. However, due to the expanded width at the top, the risk of Federer running into an opponent who may defeat him earlier has increased. Current opponents can no longer be crushed by his aura like they used to be. Unfortunately, the lack of match practice is difficult to simulate in training. Eventually it becomes difficult to add a new note to your performance. With Thiem or Medvedev, on the other hand, the learning curve is very upward. Currently they would also be a big obstacle for a Federer without knee problems. But a “teacher” grows with his tasks.



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