By Richard Pagliaro | Monday, November 11, 2019
Stefanos Tsitsipas out-dueled nemesis Daniil Medvedev for the first time 7-6 (5), 6-4 in a stirring ATP Finals debut he called "one of the most important" wins of his life.
Photo credit: Mike Frey/Rolex Shanghai Masters
The deep blue court bubbled with bad blood as feuding foes Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas squared off in London.
Two of the tour's brightest young stars have traded barbs and once nearly came to blows on court in Miami.
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In a grudge match rematch, Tsitsipas delivered all-court dazzle out-dueling Medvedev 7-6 (5), 6-4 snapping his streak of futility against his nemesis in a gripping ATP Finals clash.
It was Tsitsipas' first win in six career meetings against the US Open finalist and an emotional triumph.
Following a terse handshake Tsitsipas celebrated what he called "one of the most important victories of my career" with a fierce roundhouse right hand of relief.
"[It was] one of the toughest, one of the most important victories of my career so far," Tsitsipas told Annabel Croft afterward. "I gave myself a big boost today, kept believing, kept fighting. Everything worked pretty well. That last game was insane—one of the toughest games I played until now."
The sixth-seeded Greek was daring and dynamic at crunch time winning 22 of 26 trips to net, including sticking a forehand volley for set point in the tie break.
Tsitsipas served 60 percent, won 39 of 44 first-serve points, including slamming three aces in a row, and did not face a break point.
Shanghai champion Medvedev played well, saving three of four break points, but suffered his second successive loss following his Rolex Paris Masters defeat to Jeremy Chardy. It's the first time the ATP leader hard-court victories has lost back-to-back matches since February.
It was an intense clash that saw Tsitsipas fire a few passing shots right at Medvedev's body denying the Russian his 60th win of the season.
"It isn't easy," Tsitsipas said. "Such a relief, such a relief. It's not easy knowing you've lost five times before, but I made a deal with myself I'll keep trying until I get it.
"It doesn't matter if it's 15 or 20 [losses]. Greek flags everywhere it almost feels like I'm playing in Athens. British people, Greek people backing me up; it's the best feeling right now."
In a duel of ATP Finals debutants, the 21-year-old Greek avenged his 7-6(5), 7-5 Rolex Shanghai Masters semifinal loss by almost the identical score.
After Shanghai, Tsitsipas knocked Medvedev's game as "boring" the latest verbal strike in an escalating battle in which the 23-year-old Russian bluntly said "We're not friends."
Rancor has seldom been so riveting.
Knowing he needed a tactical shift, Tsitsipas showed all-court aggression in the seventh game. Angling a kick serve wide, he carved a drop volley. Medvedev worked his way forward behind a fine approach, but bricked a volley that sat up mid-court.
Antipathy is like a geyser gurgling when these two play. Tsitsipas streaked forward and fired a forehand right at the Russian, who wiggled out of the way of the blurring ball. The Greek spiked a smash for a 4-3 lead.
Meanwhile, Medvedev was cruising on serve.
Tsitsipas slashed three straight aces stamping a commanding hold for 5-4. By then, he'd won all 17 points played on his first serve.
The fourth seed is so skilled redirecting low balls on the run. Medvedev showed that asset rallying from 15-30 creating some shrewd angles on the move to level after 10 games.
The man from Moscow made six straight finals this season on the strength of his stinging serve, flat strikes that are difficult to decipher and calm at crunch time. Medvedev stood his ground at net repelling a pair of body blows with backhand reflex volleys that helped him force the tie break.
Smooth transition skills and fast hands helped Tsitsipas win 13 of 17 trips to net in the set. Deadlocked at 5-all, the lanky Greek patiently probed until he got the forehand he wanted and followed it forward stabbing a forehand volley for set point.
Attacking behind another forehand, Tsitsipas forced a netted forehand closing a quality 55-minute set.
Dotting different areas of the service box, Medvedev won 12 of his first 14 serve points building a 3-2 second-set lead.
Drawing a running forehand error, Tsitsipas earned the first break point of the second set. Medvedev rocketed a serve to save it only to see the Greek launch a forehand strike off the inside of the baseline for a second break point. Medvedev calmly wiped that away with a clean forehand winner.
Surviving the break-point turbulence, Medvedev torched an ace holding for 4-3.
Still, Tsitsipas tightened the pressure in the ninth game forcing the Russian to deuce. The man so shrewd at reading the court made a major miscalculation opting against playing a high return. The ball dropped on the baseline giving Tsitsipas break point.
Medvedev sailed his signature shot long giving Tsitsipas the first break of the match and a 5-4 lead.
Ninety-nine minutes into the match, Tsitsipas faced a moment of truth.
How would the sixth seed respond serving to snap his streak of futility?
Down 15-30, Tsitsipas showed daring and driving using a soft drop shot and snapping volley for match point.
Soaring for a smash, Tsitsipas closed a one hour, 42-minute win with a scream followed by a brief handshake.
Can't wait for the next rematch.
"Goose bumps," Tsitsipas said of his ATP Finals debut. "I used to watch it on TV dreaming of one day potentially playing on these courts. So much attention, such an important event.
"It's pure joy playing here. Seeing myself on this court, it's been a long way to come here. So I'm really grateful for all the peole who believed in me. It's an honor sitting on this court right now."