Daniil Medvedev raises an eyebrow on his ‘spicy’ rivalry brewing up with Alexander Zverev
Daniil Medvedev is excited for a potential encounter with Alexander Zverev in the round of 16 at the Rome Open.
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Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Zverev( Credits: Eurosport and Internazionali BNL d'Italia)
Daniil Medvedev is through to the round of 16 at the Rome Open after defeating Bernabe Zapata Miralles. Regarding a possible encounter with Alexander Zverev in the next round, the Russian is excited to face his biggest on-court rival, as they last played in Monte-Carlo.
Alexander Zverev and Daniil Medvedev have been each other’s biggest competitors on the court. They both last played at the Monte Carlo Masters, where the Russian defeated Zverev in a thrilling match. The match was nothing but controversial after the German player refused to shake hands at their net exchange. It all started after Medvedev decided to leave the court for an approved ‘bathroom break’. This prompted World No. 22 to accuse his competitor of gamesmanship tactics.
“He is one of the most unfair players in the world. I take fairplay and sportmanship very serious. He does not. He takes a toiletbreak when its not possible anymore”, he spoke through Sky Sports.
The drama did not end well, as the US Open champion responded to the accusation in a cold tone. He stated that it’s ridiculous to blame others for one’s poor performance on the court.
“What made him say this? Toilet? Well, I wanted to pee. What does he want me to do? And let’s take it step by step. So, 3-2 I have like five breakpoints or whatever. He manages to hold. Congrats. Then I make the game 40-Love for me. I go to the toilet, I lose next two games, he’s serving for the match. And he’s saying I’m going to the toilet to make him play worse?”, Medvedev said at the press conference.
During an interview with the Tennis Channel, the World No. 3 was asked about his thoughts on a possible encounter with Alexander Zverev in the next round at Rome. The 27-year-old stated that ‘everything is well’ between them as they talked out their differences after the Monte-Carlo clash. He cited that their expected meeting could be an exciting one too.
Medvedev claimed the Miami Open title, after his successful victory over Jannik Sinner. His potential title run at the Madrid Open was cut short, after he was defeated by his compatriot Aslan Karatsev in straight sets.
Also read: Who is Fábián Marozsán’s idol- Rafael Nadal or Novak Djokovic?
Daniil Medvedev is determined to play his best at the Roland Garros
Daniil Medvedev has never won a title on the clay surface. At last year’s French Open, he made his fourth-round exit after losing to Marin Cilic. With the Grand Slam just days away, the World No.3 is preparing to claim the championship title.
In 2023, the Russian player is in “great form’ with his five final appearances at the ATP Tour and winning accolades at Rotterdam, Qatar, Dubai, and the Miami Open. He holds the record of winning 25 out of his last 26 matches. The 26-year-old has begun his clay campaign, where he has had more struggles than victories. After his early exit at the Madrid Open, the US Open champion has expressed his determination to develop ‘good momentum’ on clay.
With all the speculations regarding his clay performance, Casper Ruud voiced his faith in the Russian. The World No.4 commented on Medvedev’s clay preparations and stated that his current form will be trouble at the upcoming tours.
” I’ve read interviews where he says that he wants to develop a good movement on clay and let’s see if it’s this year. But he has obviously had good results on clay in the past”, he said on the Eurosport podcast.
“He’s a player that sort of doesn’t go away. And you have to play those winners or hit those great shots or come to the net or whatever and finish the points because he’s going to be there and make you play a lot of balls. I think it’s maybe safe to say that the movement has been maybe his biggest issue on clay in the past”, Ruud added.
Medvedev won the second round of the Rome Open, after defeating Bernabe Zapata Miralles.
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Tanushree Verma
(52 Articles Published)