Medvedev Sends Strong Messages To Djokovic's After Falling into..

Daniil Medvedev
became the
first man to qualify for the semi-finals this year in Turin with his Wednesday
win againstAlexander Zverev
. The third
seed has won all four sets he’s played at theNitto ATP Finals
in
building a 2-0 group-stage record, and he’s eager to build on that success when
he meetsCarlos Alcaraz
on Friday.

I’m going to try my best to play Carlos,” Medvedev said, acknowledging the
fact that his progress to the knockout rounds is already sealed. “The moment
you relax and say to yourself, ‘Maybe this match I can go easier,’ you can lose
all the rhythm. That’s how tennis is.”

Medvedev saw first-hand the value of maintaining winning momentum in his Turin
meeting withNovak Djokovic
last year.
The Serbian was 2-0 entering that matchup and already through to the semis,
just like Medvedev is now. But Djokovic did not give an inch in a three-set
battle, ultimately winning a final-set tie-break before claiming his
record-tying sixthNitto ATP Finals
crown
two matches later.

“Novak last year against me, [it was] physically a very tough match.,”
Medvedev said. “He could have said at one moment, ‘Whatever, I lose the match,
I’m still first place.’ But he didn’t. I think it’s a great example for me to
try to do just my best on Friday and try to win.”

While the result will not affect Medvedev’s progress to the semi-finals, it
will be crucial for the fate of both Alcaraz and Zverev. Both players enter the
final round of group play at 1-1, with Zverev set to meetAndrey Rublev
to close his
group campaign.

“On Friday, I’ll be the No. 1 Daniil Medvedev
fan there is
on the planet — for a change,” Zverev said with a smile, after a fifth defeat
in six Lexus ATP Head2Head meetings with Medvedev this season.

Asked about Zverev’s comments, Medvedev understood his rival’s sentiment.

“That’s normal. He wants to go through,” he said. “For sure, if I beat Carlos,
it’s going to be the best for him. So it’s normal. I would be the same. I can
see him looking the match. If I miss going, ‘No, why did he miss!’ Same if I
win points.”

So what will it take to secure the result both he and Zverev crave?

“I think against [Alcaraz] — especially the way he played today, better than
two days ago — you have to be at your best,” Medvedev said, echoing comments he
made before beating the Spaniard in theUS Open
semi-finals. “You
have to serve well. Here [on the fast court], there is an opportunity… You
can serve aces against him like Sascha did. So I need to play fast. I need to
make winners before he does it.

“Today he was [playing] pretty well. It’s going to be a good continuation of a
test. I beat two good opponents and I have another one in two days. I’m going
to try to do my best.”