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Casper Ruud sets Novak Djokovic showdown in finals of French Open

June 10, 2023, 4:53 pm

Casper Ruud charged into his second straight French Open final in Paris as he demolished Alexander Zverev 6-3, 6-4, 6-0 to register an easy victory in a semifinal match at the Court Philippe-Chatrier.

With a win over Zverev in the semifinals, Ruud set up a blockbuster clash against Novak Djokovic in Sunday’s championship match. Playing at the Court Philippe-Chatrier, Ruud dominated Zverev with his signature clean baseline hitting, completing a two-hour and nine-minute victory.

His relentlessness in forcing his opponent to play was the defining quality of his performance against Zverev. Ruud committed only 19 unforced errors in three sets, compared to 37 for Zverev, and his rocket forehand was the major weapon in his 25-win total.

Zverev dropped his first service game of the match but quickly rallied with a break of his own in the third game to take a 1-2 lead. That was the most the German could do, as he did not break his opponent’s serve again. Ruud broke again in the next game and was really adept at blunting the 22nd seed’s powerful delivery with some razor-sharp returns throughout.

Ruud sealed the second set with a solitary break in the seventh game, and he rushed to victory from there as a tired Zverev battled to keep up. To complete his victory, the fourth seed strolled to the final set without facing a break point.

Djokovic enters third round of French Open

June 1, 2023, 5:29 pm

The two-time champion of Roland Garros, Novak Djokovic, reached the third round after defeating Hungarian Marton Fucsovics in round two on Wednesday at the Philippe-Chatrier court.

The Serb, Novak Djokovic, defeated Marton Fucsovics in three straight sets: 7-6(2), 6-0, 6-3. The duration of the first set went on to an astonishing one hour and 30 minutes, but Novak Djokovic prevailed and won the first set. After the win over Marton Fucsovics, the 36-year-old reached his 18th consecutive third round here at Roland Garros.

In the first set of the match, Novak was leading 3-0 but later found himself serving at 5-3 as his opponent made a comeback. Novak Djokovic struggled a bit to find his rhythm in the first set. He even shouted in despair towards his player’s box as he struggled with his footwork in the first set. Later, Djokovic went on to show his dominance in the tiebreak round of the first set; he won the tiebreak round with a score of 7-2.

In the second set, the World No. 3 seeded player easily cruised past his opponent and won the set 6-6. To win the third set, Djokovic was again made to work hard by his opponent, Fucsovics. The third set ended with a score of 6-3.

After the match, the 22-time grand slam winner, Novak Djokovic, said, “I’m very happy with the match. I had a lot of intensity throughout the first set, which was difficult for me.” Djokovic told Fabrice Santoro on the court. “I hope that I amused you, especially in the first set. It wasn’t enjoyable for me, but after it, now I can say, I enjoyed it”, as per the official website of Roland Garros.

Djokovic further went on to appreciate his opponent, saying, “Fucsovics is good on all surfaces. He has nothing to lose when he comes out on this stage against me.” While concluding, he said, “These night sessions are very special.” Novak Djokovic will face Spanish player Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the third round of Roland Garros.

Swiatek, Rybakina drawn in same half of French Open

May 26, 2023, 4:45 pm

Defending French Open champion Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina find themselves in the same half of the draw, while Victoria Azarenka and Bianca Andreescu are scheduled to meet in a first-round matchup. The French Open 2023 will be held from May 28 to June 11.

Iga Swiatek will face stern tests as she embarks on her French Open title defence. 13th seed Barbora Krejcikova, the 2021 champion who has previously defeated Swiatek, is her probable fourth-round opponent. No. 4 Elena Rybakina, who has beaten Swiatek three times this year, has been drawn in the same half and might face him in the semifinals. No. 2 seed Aryna Sabalenka and No. 3 seed Jessica Pegula lead the bottom half of the draw, opening up against Marta Kostyuk and Danielle Collins, respectively.

The top seed Swiatek begins her quest for a third title in Paris against Cristina Bucsa of Spain, whom she defeated in the third round of the Australian Open in January. However, the road becomes increasingly difficult from there. In the fourth round, she might meet No. 13, Barbora Krejcikova. Swiatek was defeated in their last two matches, in the 2022 Ostrava final and the 2023 Dubai final, by the Czech, who won the title here in 2021. Krejcikova held match points in their sole clay-court meeting before losing in the third round of the 2021 Rome tournament.

Former World No. 1 and No. 18 seed Victoria Azarenka opens up against 2019 US Open champion Bianca Andreescu. The winner could be Krejcikova’s third-round opponent.
Rybakina, the fourth seed, has established herself as a reliable all-court danger. After winning Wimbledon last year, Kazakhstani has won WTA 1000 titles on both hard courts (Indian Wells) and clay courts (Rome), as well as reaching the finals of the Australian Open and Miami.

In the quarterfinals, Rybakina could face a rematch of either last year’s Wimbledon final against No. 7 seed Ons Jabeur or this year’s Miami final against No. 10 seed Petra Kvitova. 3rd seed Pegula is in charge of an intriguing quarter full of impending challenges. Her first opponent is Danielle Collins, the 2021 Australian Open runner-up, although Pegula will be buoyed by her 4-0 record against Collins and her fellow American’s absence from action since Charleston.

Rybakina secures Top 5 debut in WTA Tour Rankings

May 20, 2023, 4:20 pm

Kazakhstan tennis player Elena Rybakina has secured a Top 5 debut in the WTA Tour Rankings because of her recent great performances in tournaments. Elena is currently at the world No. 6 spot in the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Rankings. The 23-year-old has already won the Wimbledon title in 2022. She reached the final of the Australian Open in 2023 and made it to the quarterfinals of the French Open in 2021. She also finished as runner-up in the Miami Open this year.

Her recent silverware was the Indian Wells trophy in March of this year. Elena Rybakina now has a strong chance to see herself in the top four seedings in the upcoming French Open if she manages to win the Italian Open title.

Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina stormed into the final of the ongoing Italian Open 2023 after a win over 20th seed Jelena Ostapenko in the semifinal at Rome. Rybakina has advanced to her third WTA 1000 final of the season with this win by 6-2, 6-4 in a match that lasted for one hour and 33 minutes on Friday.

Rybakina entered the match behind Ostapenko 2-1 in the head-to-head. The Latvians won the first two meetings, in Linz in 2019 and Eastbourne in 2021. Rybakina won their last meeting on the hard courts of the Australian Open in January. Rybakina has now tied their head-to-head at 2-2 after winning their first clay match.

Rybakina got off to a fast start, breaking Ostapenko twice to take a 4-1 lead. After 43 minutes, the WTA Tour’s ace leader kept control of her service games to seal the first set with her fifth ace of the match. However, Ostapenko swiftly recovered in the early portions of the second set. Ostapenko broke for the first time in her ninth Rome appearance, powering down a forehand return winner to go up 2-0. As the rain began to fall heavier, she saved a break point to increase her lead to 4-1.

After a brief rain delay, Ostapenko went behind on her serve at 4-2, 15-40, before a long rain delay was implemented. When play restarted, Ostapenko won just four points the rest of the way as Rybakina completed her comeback from a 4-1 deficit.

Rybakina will lock horns with Ukraine’s Anhelina Kalinina in Saturday night’s final. Rybakina and Kalinina have only met once, with the Ukrainian winning in three sets last year in Charleston. Rybakina was defeated 4-6, 6-2, and 6-4 by Kalinina.

Medvedev cruises past Hanfmann to enter Italian Open semis

May 19, 2023, 4:27 pm

The World No. 3 Daniil Medvedev cruised past German qualifier Yannick Hanfmann 6-2, 6-2 to reach the semifinals of the ongoing Italian Open in Rome for the first time.

Medvedev crouched deep behind the baseline to absorb Hanfmann’s tremendous hitting in a commanding effort, landing a handful of breathtaking passing wins. After one hour and 20 minutes, the third seed advanced well on centre court and timed the ball neatly off both wings to advance. In the semi-finals on Saturday, the 27-year-old will face either Stefanos Tsitsipas or Borna Coric in his quest for his fifth title of the season.

“I said before the tournament I was feeling really great in practise. It is always dangerous to say this if you lose the first round and you think, ‘Why did I say this?” But I am feeling great. The transition from the Grand Stand to centre court was not easy. He was struggling more than me, and I am happy with the win and being in the semis,” said Medvedev.

Medvedev was zoned in from ball one against Hanfmann in one of his best performances of the season. The third seed won 80% (16/20) of his first-serve points in the first set and was aggressive throughout, hitting 14 winners to lead. Medvedev controlled the baseline exchanges with his weight and depth of shot in the second set to claim his 37th win of the season.

Hanfmann was competing in the quarterfinals of the ATP Masters 1000 for the first time after upsetting Top 10 stars Taylor Fritz and Andrey Rublev en route to the last eight. “I knew I had to put as many balls into the court as possible because he plays aggressively. There aren’t going to be many points where you dictate; it will be mainly him. But what you have to do is play deep and try to make him miss. Maybe he didn’t play his best match, but that is how it works; you can’t play your best match every day, and I am happy I could neutralise his attacking style,” Medvedev said.

Swiatek retires out of Italian Open due to injury

May 18, 2023, 4:07 pm

World number six Elena Rybakina moved to the semifinals of the ongoing Italian Open after two-time defending champion Iga Swiatek was forced to retire due to an injury to her right thigh.

The reigning Wimbledon champion on Wednesday moved to her first-ever Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) 1000 semifinal on clay as Swiatek retired with the game at 2-6, 7-6(3), 2-2. Rybakina is now 3-2 versus the reigning World No. 1 after victories against Swiatek at the Australian Open and Indian Wells earlier this year. This is the 23-year-old’s third WTA 1000 semifinal of the season. Swiatek’s retirement ends her 14-match win streak at the Foro Italico venue.

Swiatek’s clay-court dominance was on display, and she looked to move on to the semifinal. She came out of a slide wincing on the penultimate point of the second-set tiebreak. During the set break, she took a medical timeout and returned with strapping around her upper right leg.

Swiatek eagerly tested her movement when play resumed for four games. Swiatek walked to the net to shake hands after Rybakina held service to 2-2, bringing the 2-hour and 20-minute duel to a close.

Rybakina will lock horns with world number 20 Jelena Ostapenko in the semifinals on Friday. Playing her third quarterfinal at the Italian Open, Ostapenko defeated Paula Badosa to advance to her first semifinal. Ostapenko won the match 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 on Wednesday.

The world number 47, Anhelina Kalinina, also registered one of the biggest wins of her career by defeating Beatriz Haddad Maia 6-7(2), 7-6(6), 6-3 to move to the semifinals. The match lasted 3 hours and 41 minutes and was the biggest of the 2023 WTA Tour season. Kalinina will lock horns with world number 12 Veronika Kudermetova in the semifinals on Friday. Veronika defeated world number 21 Zheng Qinwen 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 to make it to her second successive semifinal at WTA 1000 events.

Swiatek advances into QFs, Kalinina, Kudermetova advance to semis of Italian Open

May 17, 2023, 4:55 pm

Number one seed Iga Swiatek overcame a rain delay to march into her third straight quarterfinal of the Italian Open, defeating number 21 seed Donna Vekic in their round of 16 match on Tuesday.

Swiatek overcame her opponent 6-3, 6-4 to set up an exciting clash with Elena Rybakina for Thursday. The two-time defending champion has won 14 successive matches and 24 straight sets at the Foro Italico. The last player to win a set against her was Barbora Krejcikova during the third round of the 2021 edition of the tournament. Also, Swiatek’s last defeat in the tournament was against Arantxa Rus in the first round of the 2020 edition.

In the Open Era, only five other players have won 14 or more consecutive matches in Rome. Swiatek succeeds Chris Evert, Conchita Martinez, Gabriela Sabatini, Maria Sharapova, and Serena Williams.

Swiatek’s record against Vekic has improved to 4-0. This also marked their first clay court match. In her upcoming match against Rybakina, Swiatek said that she does not look at herself as an underdog or a favourite.

Earlier, world number 47 Anhelina Kalinina also registered one of the biggest wins of her career by defeating Beatriz Haddad Maia 6-7(2), 7-6(6), 6-3 to move to the semifinals. The match lasted 3 hours and 41 minutes and was the biggest of the 2023 WTA Tour season.

Kalinina will lock horns with world number 12 Veronika Kudermetova in the semifinals on Friday. Veronika defeated world number 21 Zheng Qinwen 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 to make it to her second successive semifinal at WTA 1000 events. Paula Badosa became the quarterfinalist at the tournament with a 6-4, 6-7(4), 6-2 win over Karolina Muchova on Tuesday.

Alcaraz’s 12-match win streak ends at Italian Open

May 16, 2023, 5:31 pm

Carlos Alcaraz, who was on the verge of reclaiming the No. 1 ranking, experienced a surprising and disappointing loss in the third round of the Italian Open. He was defeated by Fabian Marozsan, a 135th-ranked Hungarian qualifier, with a score of 6-3, 7-6 (4). This defeat marks Alcaraz’s earliest exit from a tournament since October.

Prior to this loss, Alcaraz had been in excellent form, winning 30 out of 32 matches this year and maintaining a 12-match winning streak on clay after securing back-to-back titles in Barcelona and Madrid. With a victory in his opening match in Rome, he was poised to regain the top spot in the rankings. However, Marozsan’s exceptional performance, which included effective drop shots, caught Alcaraz off guard and left him unable to find suitable responses to his opponent’s tactics.

Following his disheartening loss at the Italian Open, Carlos Alcaraz will head into the upcoming French Open, where he will be the top seed, with the defeat fresh in his mind. The timing of the loss, less than two weeks before the tournament begins, adds to the disappointment for Alcaraz.

Adding to the surprise of the match outcome, Fabian Marozsan’s victory is particularly notable because it marks his first appearance in the main draw of an ATP tournament. The Hungarian qualifier’s achievement in defeating a highly ranked and in-form player like Alcaraz adds to the unexpected nature of the result.

Fabian Marozsan’s next opponent in the Italian Open will be Borna Coric. Coric has been displaying strong performances on clay, as evidenced by his recent victory over Roberto Carballes Baena with a score of 7-6 (3), 6-1. In the previous week’s Madrid Open, Coric made it to the semifinals before being defeated by Carlos Alcaraz. It sets up an intriguing match between Marozsan and Coric, with both players looking to continue their solid form on the clay courts.

96-player Italian Open main draw released

May 8, 2023, 4:21 pm

The Italian Open’s 96-player main draw has been announced, and 18 of the top 20 players in the world will compete for the championship. The clay-court events continue on the WTA Tour with next week’s Italian Open in Rome. On Tuesday, the main-draw competition will begin in the Italian capital. On 20 May, the singles and pairs finals will be place.

Iga Swiatek, the current two-time champion and No. 1 in the world, is placed first in the draw. Swiatek won the Rome title for the first time in 2021 by defeating Karolina Pliskova 6-0, 6-0. The previous year, Swiatek defeated Ons Jabeur 6-2, 6-2, to capture her second straight title.

Swiatek is certain to play either 2014 Rome finalist Sara Errani or Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the second round. Swiatek could meet reigning Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina in the quarterfinals if the seedings hold.

Ons Jabeur, who was a runner-up last year and is seeded No. 4, leads the second quarter as she prepares to compete in her first WTA 1000 event on clay this year. Due to a calf injury, Jabeur withdrew from last week’s Mutua Madrid Open, where she was the defending champion.

There could be a quarterfinal matchup between the top two Americans (and doubles partners) in this quarter if No. 3 seed Jessica Pegula and No. 6 seed Coco Gauff each hold their seeds and reach the elite eight.

Aryna Sabalenka, the No. 2 seed, enters the bottom quarter with energy after winning her second Madrid championship in the last three years on Saturday. For the first time in four attempts, Sabalenka defeated Swiatek on clay to win the WTA 1000 championship in Spain.

Djokovic set to compete at US Open after Covid policy change

May 3, 2023, 4:43 pm

World No. 1 and 22-time Grand Slam victor Novak Djokovic will be eligible to participate at this year’s US Open after the US said it is eliminating its vaccination requirement for visitors from other countries.

The top-ranked player in the world is not immunised against Covid-19 and has previously been prohibited from entering America. According to a statement from the White House, the Covid vaccination obligation for overseas tourists will stop on 11 May. The Covid-19 public health emergency will likewise come to an end on 11 May.

In a statement, the White House said, “Today, we are announcing that the Administration will end the Covid-19 vaccine requirements for federal employees, federal contractors, and international air travellers at the end of the day on 11 May, the same day that the Covid-19 public health emergency ends.”

Due to his lack of vaccinations, Djokovic was unable to compete in the 2022 Australian Open and US Open events. According to Sky Sports, the Serb had requested a special exemption to compete in the US last month at the Miami Open and the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, but he was not granted it.

Djokovic participated in this year’s Australian Open in January and won his most recent major singles championship since entry into Australia is no longer conditional upon receiving a Covid-19 immunisation. Djokovic has clinched the US Open title three times, with his triumphs coming in 2011, 2015, and 2018.

World no. 3 Medvedev set to kick off Madrid Open 2023

April 27, 2023, 3:58 pm

The World No. 3 is set to kick off his 2023 Madrid Open campaign against either Andy Murray or Andrea Vavassori in the second round. The 19-year-old can go big and bold or display a deft feel around the court, sometimes drawing opponents in with a drop shot.

Ahead of his match in the Madrid Open, World No. 3 Daniil Medvedev said that the 19-year-old Carlos Alcaraz’s drop shots are very disguised, and he is very interested in playing against the Spaniard.

In last month’s BNP Paribas Open final, Alcaraz broke Medvedev’s 19-match winning streak with a 6-3, 6-2 victory that helped the 19-year-old return to World No. 1. In the second leg of the ‘Sunshine Double’, Medvedev was named champion in Miami after he brushed off a string of opponents who tried but failed to successfully imitate Alcaraz’s winning drop shot approach against ‘Deep-court Daniil’.

Medvedev will be in Madrid action on Saturday, when he will meet Andy Murray or Italian qualifier Andrea Vavassori. While clay may not be his favourite surface, Medvedev believes his best chance to make a run on the red dirt could be in the Spanish capital.

“It’s definitely different. I would say it’s a little bit like Roland Garros clay, where it’s kind of on a harder surface. Also altitude, so the balls are flying. According to the results of many people, I should be able to actually play better here than at other clay court tournaments. So far, I have not been able to do it. But every year is a new opportunity. This year is another one, and I’m going to try to just play my best and hopefully play some good tennis,” Medvedev said.

Djokovic advances to quarters of Srpska Open

April 20, 2023, 3:45 pm

On Wednesday, Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic rallied to win his round-of-16 match at the current Srpska Open and move on to the quarterfinals of the men’s singles competition at the ATP 250 event.

In their round-of-16 match, the world No. 1 overcame the French adolescent Luca Van Assche 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-2. Djokovic came back from an early deficit in the third set to win the two hours and 38 minutes-long contest. “That was challenging. Really, I think I’ve ever played on a court with slower conditions than this. I was unable to enter the court. No ball could I throw past him,” Djokovic stated.

Djokovic displayed a deeper level of play and tested his rival’s court coverage, forcing him to defend. On his return, the 35-year-old was combative and had a sizable crowd cheering him on. His season record now reads 17 wins and 2 losses.

The seasoned Serbian player made some early forehand errors and lost the opening set. At 5-4, Van Assche served, and the Serbian looked for additional opportunities to control the match from the baseline and secure a break. Nonetheless, his rival maintained composure and won the tiebreak in the opening set.

Djokovic soon took his game to the next level, but he faced a minor hindrance after getting broken in the opening game of the decider. But Djokovic answered with a break of his own and sealed a win.

Djokovic is aiming for his third title of the season after winning the Australian Open and the Adelaide Open. Djokovic will lock horns with either compatriot Dusan Lajovic or Frenchman Gregoire Barrere in the quarterfinal.

The 93-time tour-level title winner, Djokovic, will reach 1,050 tour-level wins this week if he reaches the final, something only four men in the Open Era have done, namely: Jimmy Connors (1,274), Roger Federer (1,251), Rafael Nadal (1,068), and Ivan Lendl (1,068).
The youngest player in the Top 100 of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings is Van Assche, who is 18 years old. In just his ninth match at tour-level, the teenager demonstrated consistency from the baseline and a rapid pace.

The player from Brussels advanced quickly on the ATP Challenger Tour, winning three titles before moving up to the ATP Tour. Since 2016, only Van Assche, Carlos Alcaraz, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Jannik Sinner, and Holger Rune have won at least three Challenger championships before turning 19 years old.

Top-seeded Djokovic could face Medvedev in Monte-Carlo semi-finals

April 8, 2023, 3:16 pm

Novak Djokovic will lead the field at the first Masters 1000 stop of the clay swing, scheduled to be played at the namesake club in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, France, between 9 and 16 April, after returning to the ATP Tour this week at the Monte-Carlo Masters.

The top-seeded Serbian could face inform Italian Jannik Sinner in the quarterfinals before facing Miami champion Daniil Medvedev in the Monte-Carlo semifinals. Djokovic, who wants to keep his No. 1 ranking, will face either Brandon Nakashima or Mackenzie McDonald in the first round. The world No. 1 could face 16th seed Lorenzo Musetti in the third round. The 35-year-old defeated Musetti in a five-set thriller at Roland Garros in 2021. Djokovic has won the Monaco Open twice, in 2013 and 2015.

Jannik Sinner arrives in Monte Carlo after reaching his second ATP Masters 1000 final, this time in Miami. He will play Diego Schwartzman or David Goffin in his first clay-court tournament of 2023. Medvedev has a 29-3 record this season and four trophies to his name. Chasing his first clay-court title, the third seed will face Italian wild card Lorenzo Sonego or a qualifier in his opening match before facing German Alexander Zverev in the third round. Medvedev currently leads the Pepperstone ATP Live Race to Turin.

Holger Rune, who won his first Masters 1000 title in Paris last year, could face Medvedev in the quarterfinals. The sixth seed will face either wild card Dominic Thiem or Frenchman Richard Gasquet in the first round. The Dane could face Cameron Norrie or Matteo Berrettini in the third round.

Chasing his third consecutive title in Monte-Carlo, Stefanos Tsitsipas anchors the bottom half of the draw. The second seed, who is 12-2 in the Principality, will face Benjamin Bonzi or Bernabe Zapata Miralles in his opening match before facing eighth-seeded American Taylor Fritz in the quarterfinals. Fritz will face either 2014 champion Stan Wawrinka or Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor in the first round.

The fourth seed, Casper Ruud, won eight of his nine tour-level titles on clay. In his first match in Monte-Carlo, the 2021 semi-finalist faces Botic van de Zandschulp or a qualifier, and he could face former World No. 1 Andy Murray in the third round. Fifth seed Andrey Rublev, who reached the Monte-Carlo final in 2021, could be the Norwegian’s quarterfinal opponent. Murray plays 14th seed Alex de Minaur in the first round, while Miami semi-finalist Karen Khachanov takes on 2022 Monte-Carlo finalist Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.

Sania Mirza thanks PM Modi for his inspiring words on her retirement

March 11, 2023, 5:32 pm

Indian tennis ace Sania Mirza on Saturday thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his kind and inspiring words after the player bid an emotional farewell to the sport in her hometown of Hyderabad at the venue where it all started for her as a 16-year-old.

PM Modi, in a letter to Mirza, said that as India’s best tennis player, she had left an indelible mark on Indian sports, inspiring the coming generations of athletes. “I would like to thank you, Honorable Prime Minister @narendramodi Ji, for such kind and inspiring words. I have always taken great pride in representing our country to the best of my ability, and I will continue to do whatever I can to make India proud. Thank you for your support,” tweeted Sania.

The Prime Minister, in his letter, further called the tennis legend India’s pride, whose success has filled the hearts and minds of every Indian with utmost joy.

Medvedev ends Djokovic’s unbeaten run in Dubai Tennis Championships

March 4, 2023, 2:01 pm

Daniil Medvedev ended Novak Djokovic’s perfect start to the season at the Dubai Tennis Championships as he defeated world number 1 to set up a title clash with Russian star Andrey Rublev.

From the first ball, Medvedev was committed, winning 6-4, 6-4 to stretch his winning streak to 13 games. The third seed took up a position far behind the baseline to divert Djokovic’s ball-striking. Medvedev committed only 12 unforced mistakes as opposed to Djokovic’s 38. The match was ultimately won by him after 1 hour, 35 minutes of play thanks to his quick movements across the court while pursuing several drop drops.

In February, the 27-year-old won titles at the tour level in Rotterdam and Doha. When he takes on Andrey Rublev in the final on Saturday, he will look to win his 18th tour-level championship and 17th on hard courts.

Djokovic had trouble maintaining a rhythm when playing Medvedev. In the opening set, he attempted to pressure Medvedev’s deep court return position by serving and volleying, but he found it difficult to pull it off. In the second set, he unleashed an all-out assault on Medvedev, striking with force and precision. He tried to hit through the third seed, who was acting like a brick wall, but he was unsuccessful.

“When you play against Novak you just have to play your best. Kind of hope he doesn’t play his best on the day because when he plays his best, well he has 22 Grand Slams, so even if you play your best, it is going to be tough, not sure you win,” Medvedev stated.