Reuters
Tennis – Australian Open – Men’s Singles Final – Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia, February 21, 2021 Serbia’s Novak Djokovic shakes hands with Russia’s Daniil Medvedev after their final match REUTERS/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake
Reuters
Tennis – Australian Open – Men’s Singles Final – Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia, February 21, 2021 Serbia’s Novak Djokovic shakes hands with Russia’s Daniil Medvedev after their final match REUTERS/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake
The men’s singles final of the US Open 2021 is fast approaching and both the top seeded players will battle it out for the title. While World No.1 Novak Djokovic is just one win away from accomplishing his Calendar Slam in New York, Daniil Medvedev will fight hard for his first-ever Grand Slam title.
The final of the Australian Open 2021 saw the same match-up and Novak Djokovic thrashed Daniil Medvedev to win the title. In addition, their head-to-head battle currently stands at 5-3 in the Serb’s favor. Even though the 20-time Grand Slam winner will begin as the favorite, the Russian has the potential of beating him, especially on the hard-court.
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Novak Djokovic congratulates Daniil Medvedev after their match during the Western & Southern Open. Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
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What are the ways in which Daniil Medvedev can stun Novak Djokovic?
There are no shortcuts to beating Djokovic. If Medvedev has to stand a chance against him, he has to win the mental battle against him. In order to do so, he has to attack and start building pressure on the Serbian legend right from the beginning.
One often sees that when Djokovic feels the pressure, he smashes his racquet to vent frustration or takes a toilet break. However, after this, he becomes a different player and starts to counter attack. It is here where Medvedev should not lose his concentration and continue to exert pressure if he manages to take the early lead.
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Russia’s Daniil Medvedev speaks with Serbia’s Novak Djokovic after winning their group stage match Action Images via Reuters/Paul Childs
Another key element of defeating the World No.1 player is to engage in long rallies. Since Daniil is young and has the ability to cover the court quickly, if he somehow makes Nole tired, he can even end the match in four sets. However, for that, he needs to serve well consistently and get involved in long rallies. It is noticed that once Djokovic becomes tired, he makes too many unforced errors.
The Russian’s key strategy will be to serve high and endorse baseline play. Djokovic often commits too many mistakes if his opponent can consistently attack along the baseline. It is the also the reason why Rafael Nadal managed to win two US Open finals against Djokovic.
Whatever be the case, Medvedev has the capability of stopping Djokovic from achieving his Calendar Slam at the US Open 2021. Will he be able to break his 27-match winning streak at Grand Slams in New York tomorrow?
