By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Thursday, February 1, 2024
Typically, painful loss offers highly effective revelation for each athlete and viewers.
Contesting his sixth main ultimate, Daniil Medvedev put himself in place to win the Australian Open solely to fall sufferer to a resilient Jannik Sinner and gnawing fatigue in a five-set ultimate loss on Sunday.
Extra: Richard Evans Q&A
The 27-year-old Medvedev got here inside one set of changing into the primary man in Open Period historical past to win 4 five-setters en path to a significant title.
As an alternative, Medvedev makes ignominious historical past as the primary man in Open Period historical past to lose two main finals from two units to like up.
Corridor of Famer Andy Roddick is aware of all about gut-wrenching ultimate losses and says Medvedev’s complete physique of labor makes him a Corridor of Famer.
Merely put, the person nicknamed Meddy Bear is “a badass” writes Roddick in his Betway weblog.
“We’re rightfully celebrating Sinner, however Medvedev is a badass. He has nothing to hold his head about and left the whole lot in Melbourne,” Roddick wrote in his Betway weblog. “It doesn’t actually matter how nice your health stage is – that cumulative impact of time on courtroom is finally going so as to add up.
“His superpower is taking part in prolonged rallies and asking the query again and again: ‘Are you able to punch me out over time?’ He performs the simplest model of tennis that he’s able to and it has gotten some superb outcomes.”
Think about Medvedev dropped to 1-5 in Grand Slam finals, however 4 of these defeats got here in opposition to Grand Slam king Novak Djokovic and King of Clay Rafael Nadal, who famously broke the Russian’s coronary heart—and blew tennis minds— within the 2022 AO ultimate.
Unleashing the warrior inside, Nadal delivered the comeback of his profession battling by Medvedev 2-6, 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-4, 7-5 to twenty first Grand Slam title in an epic and astounding Australian Open ultimate.
Corridor of Famer Roddick says Medvedev, who leads the ATP in victories because the begin of 2023, is a certain fireplace Corridor of Famer.
“That is his sixth main ultimate now and I don’t really feel like we give him sufficient credit score,” Roddick wrote. “I’ve by no means left a ultimate watching Medvedev and thought he’s blown it or given it away. He makes somebody earn it each single time. He’s performed Rafa twice, Novak twice and an in-form Sinner. It’s simply the best way it goes. I misplaced 4 finals and received one. Typically you simply come up in opposition to somebody higher on the day.
We’re appearing like this one’s going to be the factor that breaks him, however he’s accomplished it earlier than and has come again terribly. I’m not apprehensive about him exhibiting up and being on the enterprise finish of each hardcourt Slam over the subsequent couple of years and, personally, I’d like to see him win one other one. He has crushed all the very best gamers on the largest phases and is little doubt a Corridor of Famer in his personal proper.”
Photograph credit score: Matthew Calvis
