Wrecking Ball: Medvedev’s Bewitching Backhand

Nobody on the planet loves backhand-to-backhand rallies more than Daniil Medvedev.

Medvedev defeated Jannik Sinner 7-5, 6-3 in the Miami Open presented by Itau final on Sunday on the back of dominating backhand exchanges through the Ad court.

The secret sauce of Medvedev’s flat, “knuckle-ball” backhands is that they are almost impossible to do anything with. They come at you flat and low, skidding through the court. They are not fast enough that you can use the raw power back against him or slow enough to step in and dominate. They live in a maddening “middle world” that bamboozle opponents into self-destruction.

Backhand Groundstroke Performance

Medvedev

• Total = 97

• Errors = 5

• Winners = 3

• Opponent Forehand Errors From A Backhand = 6

• Opponent Backhand Errors From A Backhand = 12

• Opponent Backhand Volley Error From A Backhand = 1

Sinner

• Total = 92

• Errors = 19

• Winners = 0

• Opponent Forehand Errors From A Backhand = 3

• Opponent Backhand Errors From A Backhand = 1

Medvedev’s unorthodox backhand only yielded five errors from 92 shots, or one error every 18 backhands. Sinner’s more aesthetically pleasing backhand committed 19 errors from 92 backhands, which was good for one error every five backhands. It was a miss-match that provided Medvedev with a “go-to” winning pattern of play from start to finish.

Medvedev’s backhand was able to extract 12 backhand errors from Sinner, while the Italian was only able to extract a solitary backhand error from Medvedev from his own backhand. Overall, Medvedev hit 97 forehands and 97 backhands for the match and had little desire to hit run-around forehands in the Ad court. Medvedev only hit 10 run-around forehands in the Ad court, while Sinner hit 41.

Medvedev knew his backhand was the wrecking ball.

What’s fascinating about Medvedev’s backhand is that he voluntarily hits it from extremely deep in the court. Medvedev made contact with his backhand 46 per cent of the time from further back than two metres behind the baseline. Sinner made contact just 16 per cent of the time with his backhand from the deep section of the court.

What’s also interesting to note is that Medvedev’s backhand strategy enabled him to hit more backhands inside the baseline than Sinner. Medvedev hit 20 per cent inside the baseline, while Sinner was just at 11 per cent.

He stands deep where he can’t be hurt and quickly moves forward to hurt you when the opportunity arises.

Sinner’s backhand started the match well, making only two errors from the first 22 backhands struck. It was a vastly different story at the start of the second set, where Sinner committed five backhand errors from the first twelve backhands hit. Four of those errors were committed from not being able to handle a Medvedev cross court backhand.

Medvedev’s backhand got off to a flyer, making the first 30 backhands in a row, including one winner, and forcing seven opponent errors. Medvedev’s backhand was the rock he relied on in the second set, making only two errors from 31 backhands while extracting eight errors from Sinner.

Medvedev’s backhand remains an enigma for opponents. Medvedev won a healthy 61 per cent (45/74) of his baseline points for the match. Sinner only managed to win less than half of that, at 30 per cent (19/64).

Medvedev’s bewitching backhand strikes again.