WATCH: Daniil Medvedev jokes of his ability to slide ahead of clay season debut this year

Medvedev claims he surprisingly slides better on the hard court rather than the slippery clay surfaces.

WATCH: Daniil Medvedev jokes of his ability to slide ahead of clay season debut this year

Daniil Medvedev often jokes about his lack of proficiency on clay courts. Fresh off his Miami Open win, Medvedev is definitely not looking forward to playing on clay. In a recent pre-event interview, the former World No.1 explained how the Masters 1000 title win hampered his practice time on the red dirt in Monte Carlo.

Medvedev has certainly shown his distaste for the surface previously. Set to compete in the opening clay tournament season this week, he claimed that while some players can adapt to the tricky surface, he, in fact, cannot. Despite being in full form, Medvedev feels he definitely needs more days to practice for his upcoming matches.

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Due to long-run and ultimate triumph in Miami, Medvedev was unable to slot in time for the clay season. He merely had three to four days of practice on the surface. “The better you play, the less days you have on clay, so for this tournament, I’ll have three or four days of clay game time,” Medvedev added. He also joked that while other players might be satisfied with that time, he significantly needed more preparation.

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Medvedev’s aversion to the clay is evident as the Russian has never won an ATP-level clay tournament. While speaking to Tennis TV, the 27-year-old stated a contrastive opinion as opposed to other tennis players. “Everything from my side is a little bit worse on clay,” Medvedev said. “…I actually slide better on hard courts than on clay. Which is ridiculous, but it is what it is”.

Medvedev is scheduled to begin his campaign in Monte Carlo on Wednesday. Medvedev will compete against either Lorenzo Sonego or Ugo Humbert in his opening match. Seeded No.3 at the Master’s event, the Russian will seek to move as far as possible, keeping in mind that clay is not his strongest forte.

Also read: Daniil Medvedev adamant on not changing playing style for better results on clay

Daniil Medvedev feels he needs to change his strategy on clay

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This season, Daniil Medvedev has excelled on hard courts, winning four tour-level championships, including his fifth ATP Masters 1000 title in Miami. This week, Medvedev will compete at the Monte-Carlo Masters on clay, and he is prepared to modify his style of play. He spoke on his change in strategy against the clay-court swing in a pre-tournament presser.

Medvedev’s greatest performance on clay was at the 2019 Monte Carlo Masters, where he reached the semi-finals. “I definitely have to change my game because my strokes are too flat and clay does not let the ball go through the court as much,” Medvedev said. The Russian hopes to change his game over time.

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