Comply with dwell updates on the U.S. Open males’s ultimate between Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev.
From the day the lads’s singles draw got here out, the trail for Novak Djokovic to achieve yet one more U.S. Open ultimate appeared clear, and appeared to arrange for a showdown with Carlos Alcaraz, which might have been a rematch of this 12 months’s Wimbledon ultimate.
This U.S. Open males’s ultimate will get a rematch — simply not between Djokovic and Alcaraz. Daniil Medvedev of Russia, after defeating Alcaraz on Friday night time in 4 units, will play Djokovic on Sunday at 4 p.m. Japanese for the championship.
It will likely be a rematch of the 2021 U.S. Open ultimate, which Medvedev received, stopping Djokovic from finishing a calendar Grand Slam that 12 months.
Right here’s what that you must know concerning the match on Sunday:
Djokovic and Medvedev took totally different paths to the ultimate.
On paper, it will appear that Djokovic has battered his approach via to the championship match. He received 5 of his six matches in straight units. However he has confronted some formidable opposition alongside the way in which. Within the third spherical, Djokovic bumped into bother when he dropped the primary two units to Laslo Djere, a fellow Serbian. However Djokovic was in a position to will his approach again to win, wrapping up at round 1:30 a.m.
Within the quarterfinals, Djokovic confronted Taylor Fritz, the very best ranked American man, and within the semifinals, he took on Ben Shelton, a rising younger American.
The street to the ultimate has been barely bumpier for Medvedev than Djokovic. Two of Medvedev’s matches have been pushed to 4 units, within the second spherical towards Christopher O’Connell and once more within the fourth spherical towards Alex de Minaur.
Medvedev’s’ hardest opposition got here within the semifinals on Friday, when he performed Alcaraz. After the primary set went to a tiebreaker, it appeared like followers have been about to settle in for a protracted night time. However Medvedev dominantly took the second set, 6-1. Alcaraz received the third however couldn’t acquire extra traction than that, sending Medvedev to the ultimate.
Medvedev performed spoiler in 2021.
Medvedev and Djokovic have been in a U.S. Open ultimate earlier than. Two years in the past, Djokovic was seeking to full the calendar Grand Slam, having received the Australian Open, the French Open and Wimbledon multi function 12 months (he additionally competed within the Tokyo Olympics that 12 months, however didn’t medal and thus misplaced his likelihood for a Golden Slam).
All Djokovic wanted to finish the Grand Slam was win the U.S. Open.
However Medvedev spoiled the get together. Medvedev went on to win the 2021 U.S. Open ultimate in straight units, holding Djokovic from finishing the calendar slam.
The match was weird at instances, and in it, Djokovic displayed feelings followers aren’t used to seeing. At one level within the third set, Djokovic coated his face with a towel after which appeared to start crying and shaking, an indication of how a lot finishing the calendar slam meant to him.
Medvedev mentioned on Friday that Djokovic finds methods to enhance after losses, making this 12 months’s ultimate harder.
“When he loses, he’s by no means the identical after,” Medvedev mentioned, referring to the 2021 ultimate. “He’s going to be 10 instances higher than he was that day, and I’ve to be, if I wish to nonetheless beat him, 10 instances higher than I used to be that day.”
Djokovic leads their head-to-head.
Djokovic and Medvedev have performed one another 14 instances, and Djokovic has had the benefit with 9 wins. Their most up-to-date matchup was in March at a event in Dubai, which Medvedev received, 6-4, 6-4.
Whereas Medvedev was in a position to spoil Djokovic’s shot on the Grand Slam in 2021, Medvedev acknowledged on Friday night time that enjoying Djokovic received’t be simple.
“Novak goes to be his greatest model on Sunday,” Medvedev mentioned. “And I’ve to be the all-time model of myself if I wish to attempt to beat him.”
Djokovic is searching for No. 24.
Anytime Djokovic performs in a Grand Slam ultimate, there’s the potential for historical past to unfold. With 23 Grand Slam titles, Djokovic has surpassed Rafael Nadal, who has 22, and Roger Federer, with 20.
With Federer now retired and Nadal away from the sport due to an harm, Djokovic has the possibility to distance himself from his counterparts within the Massive Three of males’s tennis. However Djokovic mentioned on Friday night time that he has tried to not focus an excessive amount of on the numbers.
“I’m conscious of it, and naturally I’m very pleased with it,” he mentioned. “However once more, I don’t have a lot time nor do I permit myself to replicate on this stuff.”
Djokovic recalled an analogous historic weight when he misplaced the 2021 U.S. Open ultimate, and mentioned he doesn’t need that to occur once more.
“I’ll attempt to simply deal with what must be accomplished and tactically put together myself for that match,” he mentioned.
Control Medvedev’s return place.
Those that have been extra centered this event on gamers like Frances Tiafoe, Carlos Alcaraz, and Ben Shelton, might have one huge query on their minds after they watch Medvedev play: Why does he stand up to now again from the baseline to return serves?
It’d seem like a drawback to Medvedev, however he makes use of the place in his favor. By standing so far-off from the baseline, typically as much as 20 toes, Medvedev offers himself extra time to return the serve. He additionally makes use of the tactic as a device to strengthen his positioning in the course of the level itself; by beginning far behind the baseline, he all however ensures that he’ll transfer ahead as the purpose develops.
The technique, in fact, has its cons. By standing up to now again and taking extra time, Medvedev leaves extra courtroom area open and offers his opponents extra time to get into an advantageous place for his or her subsequent stroke after the serve.