And we are left with the final two at the ATP Paris Masters. The top two seeds, Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev, won their respective semifinals on Saturday to set up a rematch of the US Open final to decide the champion in Paris.
ATP Paris Masters Final
After dropping the opening set in barely 33 minutes, the World No.1 got his act together to win the next two, edging past Hubert Hurkacz 3-6 6-0 7-6(5) in two hours and 17 minutes. In the process, Djokovic clinched the year-end World No.1 ranking, claiming the accolade for a record-breaking seventh time. On Sunday against Medvedev, the 34-year-old will be playing in his seventh Paris Masters final. He is eyeing his record-breaking 37th Masters 1000 title to edge past Rafael Nadal, who is currently tied alongside Djokovic with 36.
In the other semifinal, Medvedev produced a stellar performance to comprehensively beat the in-form Alexander Zverev. He breezed past the German 6-2 6-2 in an hour and 20 minutes to keep his hopes of title defense alive. The 25-year-old Russian, who appeared to be tentative in his quarterfinal win over Hugo Gaston, was flawless and dominant in his triumph over Zverev on Saturday, his fourth straight win against the German. Medvedev’s relentlessness made Zverev crumble, unable to withstand his opponent’s consistency. Zverev’s skills at the net deserted him on the crucial moments, and he suffered an ignominious defeat against the defending champion.
Novak Djokovic vs Daniil Medvedev
Djokovic marginally leads Medvedev 5-4 in their head-to-head. In their most recent encounter, Medvedev was relentless and dominant against the Serb, storming through 6-4 6-4 6-4 in the US Open final.
Medvedev is like a brick wall on hard courts. He has aced the art of construction of points, especially on this surface. The slower nature of the hard courts in Paris will certainly assist Medvedev’s game, offering him a slight advantage over his opponent.
Against Zverev, Medvedev’s strategy of positioning himself deep behind the baseline worked clinically during the long rallies, offering him more time to create vicious angles on his shots. The Russian must resort to a similar strategy against Djokovic, who himself is prolific at constructing points.
While Medvedev’s game appeared shaky leading into his semifinal clash, he seems to have found the rhythm, managing to elevate his level against Zverev.
Following his incredible winning run at the first three Majors this year, Djokovic seemed physically spent and mentally exhausted during his run to the US Open final. However, after a well-deserved break, the Serb appears to be fresh. One can expect Medvedev to face a much stiffer challenge against Djokovic this time around.
A Thrilling Final in Paris
Djokovic, who paid the price against Medvedev for not being aggressive in New York, must aim to be more offensive now to put the Russian under pressure. The best of three sets format offers Medvedev a significant edge over Djokovic, who of late has shown a tendency to start off slowly.
In New York, Medvedev beat Djokovic at his own game, outhitting him from the baseline. He made the Serb hit more backhands than forehands. That strategy worked in spades. It neutralized Djokovic’s forehand–his biggest weapon in setting up the points. On slower hard courts in Paris, Djokovic needs to make amends and run around the ball to take more forehands to challenge Medvedev’s defense.
Djokovic won a lowly 40% of his second serve points in the US Open final. He cannot afford to let that happen again if he wishes to avenge that loss.
The Nitto ATP Finals in Turin follow the Paris Masters. That should act as an additional motivation for Djokovic and Medvedev as they prepare to face off in the final in Paris.
Can Medvedev, the latest Grand Slam champion, show consistency and relentlessness to once again outsmart Djokovic? Or will the Serb, raising his level, produce a clutch performance to take down the defending champion?
An intriguing and mouth-watering final awaits us. The top two seeds battle it out for the final Masters 1000 title of the season in Paris.
Main Photo from Getty.
