By Richard Pagliaro | Wednesday, November 13, 2019
In a rematch of the US Open final, Rafael Nadal saved a match point roaring past Daniil Medvedev 6-7 (3), 6-3, 7-6 (4) in an ATP finals thriller.
Photo credit: Christopher Levy
It was déjà blue all over again.
Dragged to a decisive set by Daniil Medvedev on a blue hard court again, Rafael Nadal summoned gladiatorial defiance igniting an inspired comeback.
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Rallying from love-4 down in the decider, Nadal saved a match point subduing Medvedev 6-7 (3), 6-3, 7-6 (4) in an ATP Finals thriller.
The match was a rematch of the US Open final in September that saw Nadal hold off Medvedev's rally in a classic five-set conquest that spanned four hours, 49 minutes.
Today, it was Nadal who fought back furiously denying a match point at 1-5 down to storm back from a double-break down prevailing with pulsating two hour, 44-minute triumph.
The 19-time Grand Slam champion's resilience—combined with a rash of late-set errors from Medvedev—sparked the fight back.
"Honestly, I have been super lucky," Nadal told Annabel Croft afterward. "That's the real thing. Sorry for Daniil. It's a tough loss. He was playing much better than me in the third.
"Of course today is one of these days that one out of thousand you win and it happened today. I can't thank [the crowd] enough for all the big support. It means a lot to me."
A spirited comeback keeps Nadal's quest of securing the year-end No. 1 ranking alive.
The top seed can make history as the oldest year-end world No. 1 under a variety of scenarios, including if he makes the final with two round-robin wins or if he makes the final and world No. 2 Novak Djokovic does not win the title or if he takes the title.
A disconsolate Nadal looked down and out when Medvedev rolled to a 5-1 lead, but the Spaniard got a jolt of of energy from his first break of the final set.
That's when Medvedev felt momentum shift.
"To be honest with you, completely I felt it after the match point when the match was over, because I still tried to win it, even letting it go from 5-1," Medvedev said. "So after the match point, I was, like, okay, that's when I actually lost the match and I cannot go back, so as I say, hopefully I'm not going to have moments like this, but that's tennis.
"Rafa fought his best, because he could just say, okay, it's over at 5-1 and just give me the point, but we all know Rafa is not about this."
The initial break triggered Nadal's self belief.
"With the 5-3 when you have the first break then you are only one break away," Nadal said of the turning point. "And I know from my personal experience how tough it is to close the matches, especially when you have two breaks in front, you lose the first one.
"At that moment I thought I can just have a chance. I think I played a great second set. In general terms I played much better today than I did two days ago so that's a very positive for me."
Court sense is as vital an asset as core strength for Nadal.
In the US Open final, Nadal exploited Medvedev's deep court positioning with well-timed trips to net. Nadal won 51 of 66 trips net points in the Flushing Meadows final and used the selective serve-and-volley effectively in this rematch.
Carving out a slick drop volley off a serve-and-volley, Nadal held for 3-2. Medvedev oozes easy power on serve and rolled through a love hold to level.
The lanky Russian rushed the US Open champion into a shanked forehand for a love-30 lead in the seventh game. The Spaniard slapped his second double fault to face break point.
The ensuing 35-shot exchange saw Medvedev come in on a pedestrian forehand approach and pay the price as Nadal spun a heavy forehand pass saving break point. Nadal shuffled a forehand drop shot with near ankle spraining effect that helped him edge ahead 4-3.
The Medvedev serve is dangerously deceptive. Stepping up to the line with minimal ball-bouncing, the 6'6" Russian was snapping off his serve with the point-ending power of a man knocking an apple out of a tree.
Stamping four straight love holds, Medvedev forced the tie break with commanding serving.
Slashing his sixth and seventh aces, Medvedev went up 4-3 in the tie break then took charge with a brilliant burst.
Throughout the set, Nadal was sliding his slice serve wide on the ad side displacing the big man. This time, Medvedev was waiting, dug out a backhand return and sprinted sideline-to-sideline ripping a running forehand down the line for 5-3.
The fourth seed cracked a wide serve closing the 52-minute opener on his first set point. Medvedev improved his 2019 tie break record to 24-9. Nadal, who was 49-1 when winning the first set this season, had only won two matches all year after losing the first set.
Firing with more venom, Nadal banged out a floated forehand error breaking to start the second set.
The top seed confirmed the break at 30 and was attacking behind his serve throughout the set. Rocketing a 130 mph ace—his fastest blast of the match—Nadal extended his lead to 4-2.
Down 15-30 Medvedev was victimized by Nadal's fine feel in a net face-off. The Roland Garros champion bumped a volley into the corner and Medvedev's ill-advised tweener attempt went askew as he faced double set point.
Medvedev saved both but double faulted to face a third. A frustrated Medvedev mashed a forehand wide as Nadal bracketed the set with breaks to force a decider.
The Cincinnti champion showed plenty of life left in his legs lashing a running forehand pass and scoring his first break of the day when Nadal scattered a slice backhand wide.
The world No. 4 backed up the break erasing a break point with a hustling, scrambling adventure of a point that helped him hold.
Flat strikes Medvedev plays hug the blue court like a layer of carpet—and give him entry to net. Medvedev pulled the string on a clever forehand drop volley and beat Nadal in a net exchange scoring his second straight break.
The final set was a showcase of Medvedev's athleticism: he streamed forward for a fine first volley setting up a soaring smash holding for 4-0.
Serving at 1-5, the world No. 1 saved a match point with a daring drop shot forcing Medvedev to serve for it.
Tension tightened as the Russian popped up a drop shot attempt then shoveled a forehand volley long gifting the break back in the eighth game and offering a sarcastic thumbs up to his wife and coach in the support box.
As the crowd erupted, Nadal narrowed his gaze and went to work.
"A lot of years on the tour, just love what I am doing," Nadal said of his love for the battle. "I love this sport and I love playing in this amazing stadium. That's the biggest motivation possible.
"It's impossible to not fight with all the people here supporting."
Serving for the match again at 5-4, Medvedev was in a dire triple break point hole.
The big man blistered a backhand crosscourt to save the first and elicited a forehand error to deny the second. Serving and volleying on a second-serve, Medvedev's lunging forehand volley clipped the top of the tape and dribbled back on his side.
Nadal was level at 5-all and Medvedev looked mentally shattered. Down love-30, Medvedev was two points from defeat when he drilled four straight first serves firing an ace to force the final tie break.
In the tie break, Nadal used a sweet drop shot and shrewd touch volley for 5-4. Moving to a mid-court forehand, Medvedev dragged a routine crosscourt forehand wide.
Nadal closed on his first match point when Medvedev missed a final backhand ending a dramatic two hour, 44-minute fight.