By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Wednesday, March 6, 2024
A mirage maker on court docket, Daniil Medvedev confronted desert deception in his Indian Wells return this week.
“First day I got here right here I suppose there was a sandstorm the day earlier than I arrived so I went on heart court docket it was lightning quick and I used to be like ‘Whoah, stunning I adore it’,” Medvedev informed the media in his BNP Paribas Open pre-tournament presser. “Then the following day it turned sluggish. So let’s see.
“I’m positively not going guilty the court docket for something I do which implies play unhealthy or play good or lose or win. I’m gonna get pleasure from it right here. I adore it right here I’m gonna get pleasure from my time right here and attempt to lengthen it so long as doable.”
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Branding himself a “onerous court docket specialist”, Medvedev spent bruising matches exploring his dysfunctional relationship with the purple Indian Wells court docket throughout his run to the 2023 last.
Medvedev withstood a sprained proper ankle and Alexander Zverev 6-7(5), 7-6(5), 7-5 then fended off Frances Tiafoe for his nineteenth consecutive victory to succeed in his maiden Indian Wells last falling to Carlos Alcaraz final March.
A distinction within the 2024 model of the artist often known as Meddy Bear: Medvedev employed former nemesis Gilles Simon to affix long-time coach Gilles Cervara on his teaching group.
Although Simon shouldn’t be in Indian Wells this week, he was in Dubai final month as Medvedev, in his first event since reaching the Australian Open last, reached the semifinal.
Whereas the pair haven’t any formal contract, Medvedev stated the plan is for Simon to journey about three months this season and he’s hopeful it is going to be a long-term partnership.
“We’re not gonna journey an excessive amount of however some tournaments right here and there in all probability one thing like 13 or 14 weeks on tour which isn’t a nasty quantity,” Medvedev stated. “We didn’t repair something. We didn’t say: ‘We’re gonna work for one 12 months and see the way it goes?’ We see the way it goes and if tomorrow him or me says it doesn’t work out we cease.
“Up to now it has been working nice. He tries some extra issues. If you happen to take somebody it’s not simply to maintain it the way in which it’s, it’s so as to add some small particulars and we do attempt to add them. I’m certain it’s going to be attention-grabbing to see them in the course of the matches I did somethings already in Dubai, but it surely takes time it’s going to take time. It’s attention-grabbing, I prefer it up to now. Hopefully we are able to preserve it collectively for fairly a very long time, however let’s see the way it goes.”
The 39-year-old Simon received three of 4 profession conferences towards Medvedev, with the three victories approaching three completely different surfaces.
Former US Open champion Medvedev informed Tennis Now’s Chris Oddo, Simon’s success towards him was a place to begin in pursuing the Frenchman as coach. Medvedev stated Simon’s court docket sense, analytical abilities and his capacity to elucidate precisely why issues are occurring on court docket have been all key elements of the rent.
“The precise story [of how we partnered] I’m gonna preserve it to myself, it’s kind of private,” Medvedev informed TN’s Chris Oddo. “At one second I used to be considering of including somebody to the group, first to switch Gilles Cervara when he’s not right here on the tour And I used to be like why if i need to substitute him i need to in all probability add somebody who might help me to grow to be a greater participant on the court docket.
“I thought of Gilles [Simon] as a result of he someway knew the right way to play me. That is The factor: I hated to play him. As a result of once I’m on the court docket he knew what I’m gonna do and he knew the right way to beat me which I really feel prefer it’s not a straightforward activity. I managed to beat lots of gamers so I used to be like not less than that’s the very first thing.”
Of their time working collectively, Medvedev stated he’s impressed by how effectively Simon articulates what he intuits on court docket.
“He can inform what he did and we are able to work on it. So if somebody performs precisely like him I’m going to know what to do and the way I can do higher in my weak spots,” Medvedev stated. “In order that was type of the primary factor about it. And for certain once we began working collectively I noticed he understands many many issues about tennis, which we—many tennis gamers—don’t give it some thought.
“I by no means thought of it myself as somebody who thinks lots on the court docket. However truly lots of that is extra feeling it, which can also be type of considering, however extra feeling it. He can clarify with phrases why he sees one factor on the tennis court docket which may be very powerful and one thing in all probability most of tennis gamers can not do.”
Photograph credit score: Matthew Calvis