Daniil Medvedev loved a breakthrough on the finish of 2020, triumphing on the ATP Finals in London to place a mark down that he’s prepared for compete for main honours. The Russian was solely taking part in within the occasion for the second time of his profession, however he rose to the event to defeat Dominic Thiem in straight units within the last.
The victory should not be a false daybreak like nearly all of his 2020 marketing campaign. The 24-year-old had did not kick on from a promising 2019 marketing campaign when he capped the 12 months by reaching the ultimate of the US Open, solely to be overwhelmed by Rafael Nadal.
He crashed out of the Australian Open within the fourth spherical of the competitors, dropping out by the hands of Stanislas Wawrinka in a five-set thriller. Medvedev was then overwhelmed within the first spherical of the French Open, struggling a humiliating defeat to unseeded Hungarian Marton Fucsovics.
The Russian was in higher type on the last slam of the season on the US Open. He surged all the way in which to the final 4 of the competitors, which included a victory over his compatriot Andrey Rublev. Nevertheless, Thiem loomed giant within the semi-finals and produced the higher tennis on the day to safe a straight-sets victory earlier than ultimately taking the crown himself with a conquer Alexander Zverev. Medvedev got a semblance of revenge in the ATP Finals, however in contrast to his colleague, the Russian doesn’t have Grand Slam title to his title.
The Australian Open gives his first alternative to put declare to a Grand Slam, though it has not been a contented venue for the 24-year-old. In his earlier 4 makes an attempt, Medvedev has solely progressed so far as the fourth spherical – doing so in 2019 and 2020. Regardless of his poor type in Melbourne, he’s backed at 11/2 in the latest tennis odds to take the title. Medvedev ought to have the ability to carry out on the onerous floor given his exploits on the US Open and the ATP Finals. There isn’t a distinction within the surfaces within the three competitions regardless of their being at completely different spots of the globe.
Medvedev should not have any worry over dealing with the elite gamers within the draw. In his run to the ultimate in London in December, the Russian overcame Novak Djokovic within the group stage earlier than defeating Nadal in three units within the semi-finals.
Due to this fact, the 24-year-old needs to be stuffed with confidence to assault the competitors and declare his maiden Grand Slam crown. The longer he goes with out successful a title, the extra stress will construct on his shoulders. Gamers have been daunted by prospect up to now, and he’ll really feel that he missed a possibility at Flushing Meadows given Djokovic’s untimely exit.
Medvedev spurned the momentum he constructed after reaching the US Open last with an underwhelming efficiency in Melbourne final season. The Russian can not afford to let lightning strike twice and kick off the brand new time period with a whimper. There’s a enormous alternative for Medvedev and he has the standard to make an announcement within the males’s sport that he has properly and actually arrived on the scene.
