Daniil Medvedev didn’t take too kindly to falling exterior the Top 10 following the Australian Open.
Since he debuted within the Top 10 of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings in July 2019, Medvedev had not spent a day exterior the unique membership till a straight-sets loss to Sebastian Korda in Melbourne noticed him tumble from No. 8 to No. 12 after the yr’s first main. That dropped like a punch within the guts.
But it was extra than simply the lack of his 2022 Australian Open finalist factors that underpinned the previous World No. 1’s exit from the Top 10. After 4 titles, together with the US Open, and a 63-13 report in 2021, Medvedev went 45-19 final yr with simply two titles. [He did miss the clay season, save for Roland Garros, after a hernia operation.]
The man nicknamed ‘Bear’ responded to his Australian Open disappointment by successful consecutive titles on the ATP 500 occasion in Rotterdam and the ATP 250 in Doha. This week in Dubai he’ll try for the primary time in his profession to win three consecutive titles.
“The defeat [in five sets to Nadal] at the Aussie Open last year was a killer,” mentioned former World No. 4 and esteemed coach and analyst Brad Gilbert. “He also had some other things going on and he wasn’t the same player he’d been. After watching him at these last two tournaments, he looks like the same guy that was winning so much. To me the biggest thing is that his confidence is back.”
Medvedev agreed that his confidence is now sky excessive. “I’m actually pleased with the final two weeks. I’ve a whole lot of confidence going, which is an efficient factor,” he mentioned Monday in Dubai. “You can find confidence fast and unexpectedly. It can happen the same to lose it. I played a great level in both Rotterdam and Doha and am now looking forward to Dubai.”
A TennisViz evaluation for Tennis Data Innovations of Medvedev’s back-to-back title run in Rotterdam and Doha reveals how he has recaptured and even exceeded his 2021 kind in two key areas: successful factors from defensive positions (Steal Score) and forehand shot high quality. (Shot Quality is calculated in real-time by analysing every shot’s velocity, spin, depth, width, and the impression it has on the opponent.)
In 2021 Medvedev gained a powerful 38 per cent of factors after discovering himself in a defensive place throughout the level. That dipped to 34 per cent in 2022. Medvedev’s combination Steal Score throughout his nine-match successful streak in Rotterdam and Doha has been an off-the-charts 43 per cent.
Medvedev Masters Murray For Doha Crown
“He’s always been a great defensive player; he doesn’t move like a typical guy of that height,” Gilbert mentioned. “He’s like a 6’ 6” wing man within the NBA. Zverev would possibly transfer in addition to Medvedev however he doesn’t play pretty much as good defence. Sometimes we are saying somebody defends effectively simply because they’re quick, however it’s greater than that. It’s about stability and the flexibility to do issues on the run. Medvedev might be second behind Djokovic as the very best participant on tour on the run.”
The TDI evaluation additionally reveals that Medvedev lifted his forehand shot high quality from 8.0 in 2022 to eight.3 in Rotterdam and Doha.
Medvedev’s Forehand Fires Up!
| Metric | 2022 | Rotterdam & Doha |
| Avg. Speed | 73.5mph | 74.5 mph |
| Avg. spin | 2308 RPM | 2470 RPM |
| Forehands Made | 88.9% | 91% |
“So goes his offensive forehand, so goes his game,” Gilbert mentioned. “He’s obtained a sneaky good forehand from the centre of the court docket. It’s totally different to Rafa’s or Fed’s – he scoots into the court docket, hits it low and flat – however it’s an important shot.
“As a big server, it’s also important to have the forehand working for the one-twos, or as some say the Serve +1. His game goes to another level when he gets more of those.”
Medvedev will likely be trying to make use of his present confidence to atone for a modest 1-2 report in two prior appearances in Dubai. He is seeded to satisfy Novak Djokovic within the semi-finals.
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Source web site: www.atptour.com
