We forget that tennis players have lives outside of the tennis courts. We also forget that they are human and worry about their loved ones. It could not have been easy for Daniil Medvedev to focus on tennis last night.
The Much-Anticipated Rematch Between Medvedev And Nadal
Based on the way that Daniil Medvedev started against Rafael Nadal in Australia, taking a 2-0 lead, I thought he had the advantage. Added to that was the way that Nadal played the second set against American, Tommy Paul, the previous round. Things did not look good for the Spaniard going into this semifinal meeting. However, Nadal proved once again that we cannot count him out.
Embed from Getty ImagesShifting Your Focus From Life To Tennis
Medvedev was battling more than the Spaniard and he tried to settle down in the second set after dropping the first set quickly. He had opportunities to steal a few breaks and even the match. The Russian could have forced a third set if only. However, tennis requires taking advantage of your opportunities and Medvedev could not. The slight drop in focus and perhaps energy was enough to hamper the Russian’s usually aggressive and precise game.
Despite The Score It Was A Battle For Nadal
Despite not at his best, Medvedev still made Nadal work hard for the victory. Yet, just when we thought he would break and even the match, Nadal took his game to another level. The Spaniard used big serving, finesse volleys, and some incredible gets to foil the Russian’s attempt to break him. In contrast, the Russian employed the drop shot to frustrate the Spaniard. However, not to be outdone, Nadal returned the favor to get the Russian talking to himself.
Embed from Getty ImagesIt Was A Brilliant Performance From Both Players
They both pushed the other to come up with some brilliant shots. With his characteristic whippy forehand, Medvedev hit some brilliant returns to gain numerous break point opportunities. Yet, it was all to no avail as Nadal was determined to hold his serve and not relinquish his lead. The end result was a 6-3, 6-3 victory for the Spaniard, who gets to face Cameron Norrie in the final. Make no mistake, team Nadal knows that Norrie will also require Nadal to bring his best tennis if he wants to leave Mexico with his ninety first singles title.
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