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“Nothing New For Me”: Daniil Medvedev on Tiny Accommodations at Tokyo Olympics 2020

Published 07/21/2021, 12:33 PM EDT

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via Reuters

Daniil Medvedev has arrived in Tokyo ahead of the Olympic Games. Notching an impressive 2021 season so far, Medvedev will be hoping to secure a medal at Tokyo 2020.

He was last seen at the Wimbledon Championships 2021, where he looked determined to make the finals. However, Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz cut Medvedev’s stay short in Round-4.

Daniil Medvedev takes time to reach the village, happy with the accommodation

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After a strenuous flight, the Russian reached Tokyo two days before the start of the tennis event. The World No.2 said it took him around nine hours to get to the Olympic village from the airport, due to the regulations. However, Medvedev had no complaints with regard to the place of stay.

“To be frank, top tennis players are used to staying in the five-star hotels. But we all went through Futures circuit where you look for a 40 euro accommodation instead of 50 euro one to save ten euros, where you live in a tiny room with one bathroom on the entire floor. Many players went through this since their junior days so that’s nothing new for me,” Medvedev said with regard to not having access to five-star stay.

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In fact, the 2021 Australian Open runner-up found the rooms to be quite comfortable.

“I feel pretty comfortable actually. We four guys, live together, happy atmosphere. The catering in the village is decent, which is important for having a good tournament. Overall, I have no complaints.”

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Can the Russian outplay the favorite Djokovic?

In spite of having an astounding campaign, Daniil Medvedev will not be the favorite to take the coveted gold medal. Standing in his path will be Serbia’s cyborg machine, Novak Djokovic. The World No.1 has an extraordinary record in 2021 and is undefeated in the Majors.

via Reuters

Djokovic holds a 5-3 head-to-head record against Russia’s unorthodox star. However, this by no means will affect how their potential clash at Tokyo will pan out. Moreover, the best-of-three sets format will play slightly in Medvedev’s favor. If the lanky big-server from Moscow can play at his best level, an intriguing battle awaits.

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Daniil Medvedev will be accompanied by an explosive Russian lineup that includes Andrey Rublev, Karen Khachanov, and Aslan Karatsev. With such a group of players, it won’t be overly surprising if Russia runs away with all three available medals in the men’s singles. How far will Medvedev go at Tokyo 2020? Can he bring a medal home for Russia?

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Written by:

Sankalp Harikrishnan

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Sankalp Harikrishnan is a tennis and NBA writer at EssentiallySports. He aspires to pursue Sports Journalism and has represented his institution in cricket, badminton, football, and table tennis. Apart from his professional desires, Sankalp does voluntary service with his friends to feed hungry animals on a regular basis.
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