From the day the boys’s singles draw got here out, the trail for Novak Djokovic to achieve one more U.S. Open remaining appeared clear, and appeared to arrange for a showdown with Carlos Alcaraz, which might have been a rematch of this 12 months’s Wimbledon remaining.
This U.S. Open males’s remaining 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 afternoon for the championship.
It shall be a rematch of the 2021 U.S. Open remaining, which Medvedev gained, stopping Djokovic from finishing a calendar Grand Slam that 12 months.
Here’s what you want to 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 method by to the championship match. He gained 5 of his six matches in straight units. But he has confronted some formidable opposition alongside the best way. In the third spherical, Djokovic bumped into bother when he dropped the primary two units to Laslo Djere, a fellow Serbian. But Djokovic was capable of will his method again to win, wrapping up at round 1:30 a.m.
In 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 highway to the ultimate has been barely bumpier for Medvedev than Djokovic. Two of Medvedev’s matches had been pushed to 4 units, within the second spherical in opposition to Christopher O’Connell and once more within the fourth spherical in opposition to 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 had been about to settle in for a protracted night time. But Medvedev dominantly took the second set, 6-1. Alcaraz gained the third however couldn’t achieve extra traction than that, sending Medvedev to the ultimate.
Medvedev performed spoiler in 2021.
Medvedev and Djokovic have been in a U.S. Open remaining earlier than. Two years in the past, Djokovic was seeking to full the calendar Grand Slam, having gained 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.
But Medvedev spoiled the social gathering. Medvedev went on to win the 2021 U.S. Open remaining in straight units, protecting Djokovic from finishing the calendar slam.
The match was weird at occasions, 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 remaining harder.
“When he loses, he’s never the same after,” Medvedev mentioned, referring to the 2021 remaining. “He’s going to be 10 times better than he was that day, and I have to be, if I want to still beat him, 10 times better than I was that day.”
Djokovic leads their head-to-head.
Djokovic and Medvedev have performed one another 14 occasions, and Djokovic has had the benefit with 9 wins. Their most up-to-date matchup was in March at a match in Dubai, which Medvedev gained, 6-4, 6-4.
While Medvedev was capable of spoil Djokovic’s shot on the Grand Slam in 2021, Medvedev acknowledged on Friday night time that taking part in Djokovic gained’t be simple.
“Novak is going to be his best version on Sunday,” Medvedev mentioned. “And I have to be the best-ever version of myself if I want to try to beat him.”
Djokovic is on the lookout for No. 24.
Anytime Djokovic performs in a Grand Slam remaining, there may be 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 damage, Djokovic has the prospect to distance himself from his counterparts within the Big Three of males’s tennis. But Djokovic mentioned on Friday night time that he has tried to not focus an excessive amount of on the numbers.
“I’m aware of it, and of course I’m very proud of it,” he mentioned. “But again, I don’t have much time nor do I allow myself to reflect on these things.”
Djokovic recalled an analogous historic weight when he misplaced the 2021 U.S. Open remaining, and mentioned he doesn’t need that to occur once more.
“I’ll try to just focus on what needs to be done and tactically prepare myself for that match,” he mentioned.
Keep an eye fixed on Medvedev’s return place.
Those who’ve been extra targeted this match on gamers like Frances Tiafoe, Carlos Alcaraz, and Ben Shelton, could have one massive query on their minds after they watch Medvedev play: Why does he stand thus far again from the baseline to return serves?
It may appear like an obstacle to Medvedev, however he makes use of the place in his favor. By standing so far-off from the baseline, generally as much as 20 ft, Medvedev offers himself extra time to return the serve. He additionally makes use of the tactic as a instrument to strengthen his positioning throughout 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 thus far again and taking extra time, Medvedev leaves extra courtroom house open and provides his opponents extra time to get into an advantageous place for his or her subsequent stroke after the serve.
Source: www.nytimes.com