‘Don’t Really Think He’s Boring’: Stefanos Tsitsipas Credits Daniil Medvedev for His Smart Play Ahead of Semi-Final Clash

Published 02/17/2021, 2:54 PM EST

The Australian Open 2021 has treated fans to some blockbuster clashes over the past few days and we’re now at the business end of the tournament. Stefanos Tsitsipas takes on Daniil Medvedev in the second semi-final of the men’s singles division, and the Greek player made a comment about the Russian ahead of their crucial match.

Tsitsipas earned his ticket to the semi-final by outplaying Rafael Nadal in a grueling five-setter on Wednesday. The 22-year-old lit up Rod Laver Arena in the absence of fans with a stunning performance to assert his dominance against the World No. 2.

Stefanos Tsitsipas is wary of the challenge Daniil Medvedev can pose

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Tsitsipas’ resilience was on full display in his quarterfinal fixture against Rafael Nadal. However, he needs to hold on to that aspect of his game when he faces Daniil Medvedev in his next match.

The Russian is one of the toughest players on tour, and Tsitsipas would need to put in his maximum effort to get past the former US Open finalist.

“Might have said in the past that he plays boring, but I don’t really think he plays boring,” Tsitsipas said about Medvedev in a recent press conference.

“He [Medvedev] just plays extremely smart and outplays you. He’s somebody I really need to be careful with and just take my chances and press. That would be very important,” Tsitsipas added.

Both Tsitsipas and Medvedev have been a joy to watch at the Australian Open 2021. But there can be only one winner when they face each other in the semi-finals!

Tsitsipas and Medvedev have a history of bad blood

Stefanos Tsitsipas and Daniil Medvedev aren’t the best of friends. They’re pure competitors who just like to take on each other on the court. These two talented players have played each other six times in the past, and the most fierce encounter came in 2018 at Miami.

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The 2018 Miami Open second-round match between Tsitsipas and Medvedev was also the first professional meeting between the two and it had a quite dramatic ending.

Both players haven’t gelled much after this incident although they admitted their regret committing the verbal altercation.

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This indeed raises the expectation levels for their semi-final clash at the Australian Open 2021. Who have you got? The 22-year-old warrior from Greece or the 25-year-old Russian powerhouse?

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Arjun Athreya is a senior writer at Essentially Sports and has been contributing since early 2020. Having developed an avid interest in sports at an early age, he pursued a Journalism degree and graduated from Madras Christian College. Arjun manages the Golf division and its content, and primarily covers news pertaining to the NBA as well.

‘Don’t Really Think He’s Boring’: Stefanos Tsitsipas Credits Daniil Medvedev for His Smart Play Ahead of Semi-Final Clash

Stefanos Tsitsipas is wary of the challenge Daniil Medvedev can pose

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Tsitsipas and Medvedev have a history of bad blood