“He served really well against the best return player” Dominic Thiem heaps praise on Daniil Medvedev for his US Open 2021 victory
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Dominic Thiem and Daniil Medvedev
Daniil Medvedev has been in the wings for a long time now but could not get to the Grand Slam title. Yesterday, however, his day finally arrived at the Flushing Meadows where in front of a packed crowd he went on to defeat World No. 1 and 20-time Grand Slam champion, Novak Djokovic 6-4, 6-4, 6-4.
While Medvedev was chasing his 1st title, Novak was looking for a record-breaking 21st Grand Slam title and also looking to create history by becoming the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to win all the 4 Slams in a calendar year and achieve the Calendar Slam. Medvedev however rained on the Serbian’s parade in the finals denying him his chance to script history.
Speaking about the finals, champion at the 2020 US Open, Dominic Thiem, who has been on the sidelines for nearly 3 months due to his wrist injury, gave his opinion on the match and how the two players played chasing their respective goals.
“Medvedev didn’t care about all that(Calendar Slam). He played sensationally from the beginning to the end, didn’t do anything stupid the whole match and, on top of that, he shot winners right and left. In addition, he served really well against the best return player. He completely deserved to win it,” said the Austrian.
“That is simply inhuman” Dominic Thiem on Novak Djokovic’s Grand Slam record this season
Novak came into the finals with a Grand Slam record of 27-0 this season as he won all 3 Slams this year. A win in New York would have taken him a level higher than his peers but it was not meant to happen at this year’s US Open. However, the buzz and excitement has been there for a long time that has definitely taken a toll on Djokovic for sure.
After his semi-final win, Novak said, “I’m going to play the finals as the last match of my career, I’m going all-in.” With a tough and long season and constant pressure for the herculean task, Thiem extended a hand of support for the Serbian who despite so much pressure made it all the way to the finals.
“With the early break in the first set, Medvedev immediately got the momentum on his side and then played at a consistently really, really high level. On the other hand, you could see the tension Novak Djokovic was under – especially at the last exchange, where he was in tears.
“We saw what was going on inside him, also what he had accumulated in the last weeks and months. That is simply inhuman. I don’t know him that well, but I think he has a really good heart and has deserved the love of the whole audience here. We don’t need to talk about his sporting achievements anyway,” added Thiem lauding the Serbian for a fantastic Grand Slam season this year.
While fans await Dominic’s return, Djokovic and Medvedev now have a week’s rest before the Tour resumes again and the fans can see them locking horns again.
Also Read: Daniil Medvedev shatters multiple records en-route to maiden Grand Slam title in New York
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Sarthak Shitole
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