Tennis News

Medvedev Stuns Nadal, To Play For Nitto ATP Finals Title

One year ago, Daniil Medvedev went winless in his Nitto ATP Finals debut. After a thrilling three-set victory against Rafael Nadal on Saturday evening, the World No. 4 is one match from becoming the undefeated 2020 champion.

Nadal served for a straight-sets victory at The O2 in London, but Medvedev rallied for a 3-6, 7-6(4), 6-3 triumph to reach the championship match at the season finale. The Russian, who has won nine consecutive matches, will play Dominic Thiem for the title.

“I felt really strange until 5-4 for him in the second set, when he was serving for the match,” Medvedev said in an on-court interview. “It felt like I was doing great shots but there was no link in my game and that was why I was losing. He was better in the important moments, I couldn’t return in the important moments, I couldn’t make a good shot in the important moments.

“I decided to change some small things. Just being closer, going for it a little bit more. I felt like I had the chances to win before [in] some games, a set maybe, but it didn’t work, so I had to change and it worked really well. I am really happy about it.”

Medvedev can become the fourth player to triumph at the year-end championships following a winless debut. Nadal entered the match on a 71-match winning streak after taking the opening set, but 24-year-old snapped that run with a gritty mental and physical performance over two hours and 36 minutes.

Medvedev and Thiem have defeated both World No. 1 Novak Djokovic and Nadal this week. For the Russian, it was his first ATP Head2Head victory against Nadal (1-3). Last year at The O2, Nadal saved a match point and rallied from 5-1 down in the deciding set of a round-robin match to defeat Medvedev.

It appeared almost certain that one year on, Medvedev wouldn’t make it to a deciding set. Nadal served for a spot in the final at 5-4 in the second set. But a sloppy game, punctuated by a mis-hit forehand off his back foot, allowed the Russian back into the match.

Nadal changed his typical tactics, using a heavy dose of his backhand slice to try to frustrate Medvedev. But instead it was the Spaniard who was stuck searching for answers, as Medvedev remained in his comfort zone. The World No. 4 hit 13 aces and won 77 per cent of his first-serve points in his victory.

Medvedev came out firing early on, making his first 16 serves of the match and pressuring Nadal’s serve, earning three break points in his second return game. But at 3-3 in the opener, Medvedev missed all four of his first serves and paid for it, getting broken at love. Nadal was flawless when he moved forward, going five-for-five at the net in the first set.

The 2010 and 2013 Nitto ATP Finals runner-up played a sloppy first service game of the second set, hitting a rare double fault to concede a break. But Medvedev let slip his advantage and then gave up a second break by hitting a forehand volley right to Nadal, and it seemed that Nadal would surge to a rematch against Thiem, who defeated him in Group London 2020 play on Tuesday.

Nitto ATP Finals Wins vs. Djokovic & Nadal (Same Year)

But Medvedev, who is full of confidence after winning his third ATP Masters 1000 title at the Rolex Paris Masters, maintained his focus. Nadal began making uncharacteristic errors and the Russian applied even more pressure by standing his ground on the baseline in key moments.

Medvedev is not known for his play in the forecourt. But after letting slip two break points at 3-3 in the decider, he snuck into the net to put pressure on the lefty, ultimately earning the break with an overhead winner. He then earned a second break in the set to reach the final against Thiem, who leads their budding rivalry 3-1.

“Dominic is playing amazing right now. Already in the US Open when I lost against him, after the match I was sitting in the locker [room] and I was like, ‘I was playing good [in] this match.’ But he managed to do it, he won his first Grand Slam,” Medvedev said. “The first two times on Centre Court [I practised here] was with him. We had good rallies, it was a really good level of tennis and I said to my coach, ‘He can go far here.’ I don’t know if he said the same… but I am going to see him tomorrow.”

Did You Know?
Medvedev entered Paris-Bercy with an 0-2 record against Top 10 opponents this season. Since then he is 6-0 against the elite group.

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Melzer/Roger-Vasselin Comeback Seals Final Berth

Jurgen Melzer and Edouard Roger-Vasselin had to turn around a 1/7 deficit in the Match Tie-break and save match point to complete a spectacular 6-7(4), 6-3, 11-9 comeback and defeat second seeds Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury.

The victory sent the seventh seeds into the Nitto ATP Finals championship match, where they will take on tournament debutants Wesley Koolhof and Nikola Mektic. It also seals the ATP year-end No. 1 FedEx ATP Doubles Team Ranking for Mate Pavic and Bruno Soares, eliminating Ram and Salisbury from contention.

“We had a talk before Sofia, the week before, [saying] that our attitude must be much better because sometimes when we were a set down or a break down, the shoulders [went] a little bit down, ” said Roger-Vasselin. “From Sofia and here, we said, ‘No matter what, we show good attitude. Always [be] positive [and] help each other and we’ll see what happens.’ I think it was the key because we won two matches [that were] incredible and we are still here. We are in the final. It is definitely amazing.”

The Austrian and French team had to recover after dropping the opening set to a dialied-in Ram and Salisbury. They got off to a fast start, breaking early to build up a 2-0 lead, but Ram and Salisbury quickly levelled the score at 2-2 before edging through in a tie-break.

That seemed to jolt the seventh seeds into action, and Melzer and Roger-Vasselin raised their level to strike back in the second set, reeling off five games in a row to open up a 5-2 lead as they sent the encounter into a Match Tie-break.

Ram and Salisbury regrouped as a pair of double faults – including a second-serve foot fault call against Roger-Vasselin – threatened to derail the seventh seeds. Facing down a 1/7 deficit as Ram and Salisbury looked set to march to victory, Melzer and Roger-Vasselin responded emphatically to reel off seven consecutive points. They had to save a match point before claiming victory in just under two hours to advance to the final.

“I try to enjoy it as much as I can because tomorrow is my last match as a real, professional tennis player,” said Melzer. “It is kind of sad, but it is a great story to end with. Being in the final of the Nitto ATP Finals is just amazing. I would not have dreamt of [this] if you would have told me after the US Open that we are going to be here at the end of the year. I [will] try to enjoy it as much as I can, soak it all up, soak it all and that’s me tomorrow.”

Koolhof and Mektic await in the Nitto ATP Finals championship clash, after the fifth seeds defeated Marcel Granollers/Horacio Zeballos 6-3, 6-4 earlier in the day.

“We are just so happy to be in the final,” said Roger-Vasselin. “We lost the first match in the round robin, so after that we were like, ‘Okay, we have nothing else to lose. We will just fight until the last point.’ That is what we are going to do tomorrow, fight from the first until the last point no matter what.”

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ATP Finals 2020: Joe Salisbury and Rajeev Ram beaten in semi-finals

Briton Joe Salisbury and Rajeev Ram agonisingly miss out on the doubles final of the ATP Finals as they lose their semi-final on a match tie-break.

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Pavic & Soares Clinch Year-End No. 1 ATP Doubles Team Ranking

Mate Pavic and Bruno Soares have clinched the year-end No. 1 FedEx ATP Doubles Team Ranking after a strong finish to the 2020 season. Two years ago, Pavic finished in top spot with Oliver Marach, while Soares partnered Jamie Murray in 2016 to become the year-end No. 1 team.

The Croatian-Brazilian team, which completed Group Bob Bryan this week with a 2-1 record at The O2 in London, were assured of year-end No. 1 when Jurgen Melzer and Edouard Roger-Vasselin defeated Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury on Saturday in the semi-finals of the Nitto ATP Finals. Pavic and Soares had come into the season finale just 35 points ahead of second-placed Ram and Salisbury in the FedEx ATP Doubles Team Rankings.

Pavic and Soares, who compiled a 4-5 match record this season prior to the five-month ATP Tour suspension, returned strongly to capture their first Grand Slam championship team trophy in September at the US Open (d. Koolhof/Mektic). They went on to reach two finals in Paris — at Roland Garros (l. to Krawietz/Mies) in October and the Rolex Paris Masters (l. to Auger-Aliassime/Hurkacz) two weeks ago.

ATP Chairman Andrea Gaudenzi said: “The battle for the year-end No. 1 doubles team has been closer than ever this year, with all eight teams entering the season finale with a chance to claim top spot. Our congratulations to Mate and Bruno – finishing the year as No. 1 is the ultimate achievement in our sport. They should be very proud of their season and they fully deserve this accolade.

Melzer and Roger-Vasselin will face Wesley Koolhof and Nikola Mektic in the title match of the Nitto ATP Finals on Sunday.

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Dominic Thiem: Existential Threat To Big Three Dominance

2020 has already been a milestone year for Dominic Thiem. He broke into the Top 3 for the first time in March, and in September he captured his first major at the US Open. An on Saturday, he notched his 300th win and, in the process, joined an incredibly exclusive club with just one other member: a Scottish fellow who was knighted by Prince Charles in 2019.

With his remarkable, two-hour, 54-minute victory over Novak Djokovic at The O2 Saturday, the man some affectionately call the Thieminator joined Andy Murray as the second man in tennis history to collect five or more wins against each member of the Big Three—Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.

“That is super special to me,” said Thiem of the achievement. “To beat the three best players of all time, five times each is something great for me. It’s a super nice statistic but as I said after the match with Rafa every single match against them is a huge privilege. It’s a huge opportunity to learn and of course if you beat these guys, it gives you a huge boost of confidence.”

Just a few years ago, this achievement seemed improbable. He was 7-15 versus the Big Three prior to 2019, but is a spectacular 9-3 against them since, though two of those losses were particularly painful ones, as they came in major finals (2019 Roland Garros to Nadal and 2020 Australian Open to Djokovic). The Austrian has a 5-2 career advantage over Federer, is now 5-7 versus Djokovic, and is 6-9 versus Nadal, but could have an opportunity to narrow that gap on Sunday if Nadal beats Medvedev in Saturday’s second semi-final.

After the match, Djokovic made no excuses and gave all credit to his opponent.

“What he did (coming back) from 0/4 (down) in the third-set tie-break was just unreal,” said the Serb, who turned 33 in May. “I mean, I don’t think I played bad. He just crushed the ball… he just took it away from me. But he deserved it, because he just went for it and everything worked. I have to put my hat down and say, Congratulations.”

The salute was a sincere one—Thiem is one of the most popular players in the locker room. No one wants to lose, but when opponents stroll to the net after a beating from him, they often appear genuinely happy for him, as Novak did today.

The walk of defeat to the net has been happening seemingly more and more for the Austrian’s opponents each year. He led the ATP Tour with 211 wins from 2016-9 but before 2019 Thiem was 15-32 against the Top 10. Since 2019, he’s 17-8 against the Top 10.

Thiem turned 27 in September. In baseball, hitters are said to reach their peak batting prowess at that age. The Big Three, however, all had their finest seasons (Federer- 2004, Nadal- 2010, Djokovic- 2011) earlier, around ages 23-24. In Thiem’s case, his breakout has been slower less because he’s a late bloomer than the simple fact that he’s had tennis’ three kings in his way.

The filmmaker Luis Bunuel once said, “age doesn’t matter unless you’re a cheese”. But surely the fact that Thiem is six years younger than Novak, seven younger than Nadal and 12 years Federer’s junior bodes well for him potentially having a winning record against all three musketeers in due time. Last year, he beat Federer, Djokovic, and Alexander Zverev en route to the Nitto ATP Finals title match. This year, his victims include Nadal and Djokovic, and he might have one more crack at Rafa tomorrow. The times, as Bob Dylan once crooned, are a changin’.

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You Won't Guess Thiem's Secret Weapon Against Djokovic…

Dominic Thiem is known for his overwhelming power from the baseline. But one shot that proved critical in his semi-final victory against World No. 1 Novak Djokovic at the Nitto ATP Finals on Saturday was his backhand slice.

“If it wouldn’t be there, I think a big part of my game would be missing,” Thiem said.

Djokovic had this year’s US Open champion in deep trouble in the final-set tie-break, but the backhand slice helped the Austrian dig out of that hole. From 4/0 down, Thiem hit at least one backhand slice in the next four rallies (that did not result in an ace) to gain a 6/4 advantage.

“It’s definitely [one of the] most important shots in my game. I love to use the slice… on all surfaces, actually. But here the bounce is pretty low. It’s a fast surface, so it’s a great, great option, especially to get from a defensive position into a neutral position again,” Thiem said. “It helped me out great today.“

View ATP Infosys Second Screen

In some cases, Thiem used his backhand slice as a tactical tool before unleashing his massive forehand. It was as if he was putting the nail into place with his slice before using his hammer to finish the job. At 1/4 and 5/4, the third seed neutralised Djokovic’s attack with a backhand slice before later uncorking a winner.

At 2/4, four of Thiem’s nine shots in the rally were backhand slices. The last of those shots was a short slice, forcing Djokovic to awkwardly attempt to approach the net with his own backhand slice, which went into the net.

The slice Thiem seemed happiest with came at 3/4. Djokovic pushed him back with a deep return. After fending that off with a defensive forehand, Thiem turned the tide in the point with a nasty backhand slice down the line, which tailed away from Djokovic’s forehand. The top seed was barely able to get to the ball and he missed a backhand later in the rally.

“I think it was 3/4, one time [I hit an] amazing slice… a great one down the line, which is such an important shot in my game,” Thiem said. “I think I improved it and I practised it a lot.”

Djokovic certainly noticed Thiem’s backhand slice.

“What he did from 0/4 in the third-set tie-break was just unreal. I mean, I don’t think I played bad,” Djokovic said. “He just crushed the ball. Everything went in from both corners, and he played couple of very short slices, angles.”

All eyes are always on Thiem’s incredible power, and rightfully so. The 27-year-old crushed winners in key moments Saturday. But 26 per cent of Thiem’s groundstrokes were slices compared to only nine per cent for Djokovic, and that played a role, too.

– Slice statistics courtesy of Hawkeye

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ATP Finals: Dominic Thiem fights past Novak Djokovic to reach final – best shots

Watch the best shots as Austrian Dominic Thiem beats world number one Novak Djokovic in three sets to reach the final of the ATP Finals.

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ATP Finals 2020: Dominic Thiem beats Novak Djokovic to reach London final

Dominic Thiem fights his way past world number one Novak Djokovic to book a place in the title decider at the ATP Finals in London.

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Koolhof/Mektic Clinch Final Spot In London

Wesley Koolhof and Nikola Mektic continued their dream team debut at the Nitto ATP Finals on Saturday, as they beat Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos 6-3, 6-4 to reach the championship match in London.

The Group Mike Bryan winners fired seven aces and returned with confidence to improve to 3-1 at The O2 this week. Koolhof and Mektic are bidding to capture their first team title in their first year as a duo. The fifth seeds finished as the runner-up pair at the Open 13 Provence in Marseille and the US Open earlier this year.

“We are reaching almost every goal this year so far. The first goal was to play here, then play our first Grand Slam final, qualify from the group here and now we are in the final,” said Koolhof in an on-court interview. “So far, it has been a dream week. One more to go tomorrow and we are ready to celebrate.”

Koolhof and Mektic entered the tournament with just one win from their past four matches, but the US Open finalists have played their best tennis at the season finale. As a result of their semi-final win, the pair has collected 800 FedEx ATP Doubles Team Rankings points this week and will have the chance to earn a further 500 points in the championship match.

“We played really well. From the start, we were very focussed. We did not make any mistakes. We did not give them any chances,” said Mektic.

After failing to convert two break points in their opening return game, Koolhof and Mektic played with aggression on their returns and showed great reflexes at the net to earn two more break opportunities at 4-3 in the first set. Koolhof converted the first chance with a well-placed lob and clinched the set in the next game with a forehand volley.

Koolhof and Mektic continued to hit their return targets in the second set, as they fired a series of dipping returns to the ankles of Granollers to break serve at 1-1. The fifth seeds maintained their advantage and earned their place in the final with a love service hold.

Granollers and Zeballos were chasing their fourth team trophy of the year. The Spanish-Argentine duo finish their 2020 ATP Tour season with titles in Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro and Rome and a 24-8 team record.

Koolhof and Mektic will face Rajeev Ram/Joe Salisbury or Jurgen Melzer/Edouard Roger-Vasselin for the trophy. The Dutch-Croatian tandem owns a 2-1 ATP Head2Head record against Ram/Salisbury and has not met Melzer/Roger-Vasselin at tour-level.

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ATP And Lacoste Extend Partnership

The ATP and Lacoste have announced a multi-year extension of their highly successful partnership. The agreement will see Lacoste transition into an Official Supplier of the ATP Tour, through 2023, following a long-standing partnership with the Nitto ATP Finals, the ATP’s season-ending finale.

The new agreement will see Lacoste become the Official Outfitter and Official Footwear of the ATP Tour, granting the ‘Crocodile’ brand marketing rights and exposure on ATP Tour digital platforms.

In addition, Lacoste will continue to outfit ATP staff throughout the season.

“We are proud to be extending the ATP’s long-term relationship with Lacoste, now in its 19th year,” said Massimo Calvelli, ATP CEO. “As one of the world’s leading fashion brands, whose heritage is rooted in tennis, Lacoste has huge crossover appeal and is a perfect fit for the ATP and our vision for the sport. We are excited at the opportunity to continue our storytelling together.”

“At Lacoste, elegance is more than just a story of style on and off the court, it is a state of mind that we have shared with the ATP for 19 years now and that we are proud to perpetuate today with the renewal of our contract” said Thierry Guibert, Lacoste CEO.

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