Daniil Medvedev replies to Andrey Rublev’s claim of ‘killing the opponents slowly’ after winning the Battle of Russians at the 2023 ATP Finals

At the ongoing ATP Finals, World No. 3, Daniil Medvedev took on compatriot Andrey Rublev, who was seeded at No. 5, in the first match of the robin round at the season-ending event. The 29-year-old finished off his opponent in straight sets to start off the event on a good note.

Medvedev defeated Rublev, scoring 6-4, 6-2 over two sets. Prior to the start of their match, while drawing comparisons with World No. 2, Carlos Alcaraz stated that both players take a vastly different approach. Rublev had stated that while Medvedev ‘kills his opponent slowly’, Alcaraz, on the other hand, prefers to take the shorter route and beat them quickly.

In an on-court interview following the match, the Russian ace was asked if Rublev’s guesses regarding his gameplay were correct. Denying the claims, Medvedev told the media that the truth was rather the opposite of what his compatriot had claimed. He also revealed that he makes adjustments to his gameplay to take on Rublev.

I like to play aggressive on my serve or the first shot after the return. But Rublev plays such a style that he doesn’t give me any other option because I don’t have the power of Alcaraz or Tsitsipas on my forehand. So it’s a bit of a different style where I try to go left & right & use my opponent. 

Daniil Medvedev stated

Since both of them are fine in the game and Medvedev has a weaker forehand than other top-ranked players, he relies on running around to cover the court. The Russian admitted that being quick on his feet was the only way left for Medvedev to win a match against Andrey Rublev.

Daniil Medvedev to face Alexander Zverev next

Having secured a win against Andrey Rublev, the third seed, Daniil Medvedev will take on Alexander Zverev next in the duo’s second round in the group stage tomorrow.

The two had last clashed in the semi-final round in Beijing, where Medvedev ousted the German in straight sets to claim a ticket to the finals. They also squared off against one another in Cincinnati, where Zverev beat Medvedev over three sets in his Round of 16 match. Medvedev leads Zverev 10-7 in their head-to-head.

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