‘”It’s Kind Of Cat And Mouse”: Novak Djokovic Speaks on Daniil Medvedev’s Game

Novak Djokovic is well settled in the quarterfinals of the Western and Southern Open. If he goes through to the semi-finals, he will be looking to face Daniil Medvedev.

The Serbian was all in praise of the Russian and stated, ‘It’s kind of cat and mouse when you play him’. Medvedev’s forehand is not the best looking in the court. However, he has a knack for winning matches, and that’s something that Djokovic cannot deny.

“It is a bit unusual at the beginning, especially from the forehand side. It’s not the best looking technique, but it’s efficient. He manages to get that racquet speed in the moment of impact, which allows him to hit the ball and balance and not make a mistake, actually,” Djokovic stated.

He analyses the young Russian’s forehand and deduces his strengths in the court.

“I think he’s penetrating through the court with the forehand more. I guess you can see the results of his work that he’s putting in and trying to improve that shot.”

The 33-year-old admits that Medvedev is not merely focussing on playing it around the court, but also adding and including some variations to his gameplay. His variety of shots make him a lethal opponent and almost unplayable under certain circumstances.

“Backhand is just so hard. It’s kind of cat and mouse when you play him, really trying to change the depth and not just go kind of left/right. Because he likes the rhythm. It’s tough to play him, really, on any surface, and particularly on hard,” admits Djokovic.

Novak Djokovic would be looking forward to maintaining his form and eventually go all the way to clinch the cup. The US Open is around the corner and he might be looking forward to brushing up his faults before setting off for the Grand Slam.

Surviving an injury scare, Djokovic would be facing Jan-Lennard Struff in the quarterfinals. Daniil Medvedev would be facing Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain. The tennis world would be anticipating their clash in the semis.