Medvedev knocks off Alcaraz to face Djokovic in US Open closing

AFP / Kena Bentancur

Daniil Medvedev expects Novak Djokovic to be in prime kind at Sunday’s US Open closing, however the third-seeded Russian provides that he’ll attempt to produce his “best-ever version” to beat the record-23-time Grand Slam champion.

Medvedev prevailed 7-6(3) 6-1 3-6 6-3 in an interesting encounter that ended prime seed Carlos Alcaraz’s reign as Flushing Meadows champion, with the 27-year-old organising a rematch of his triumphant 2021 finale towards Djokovic.

Djokovic, 36, is searching a fourth U.S. Open title that will see him equal Margaret Court’s document haul of 24 Grand Slams and a great measure of revenge on Medvedev.

“He (Djokovic) is always better than the previous time he plays. For example, I beat him in the U.S. Open final, he beat me in Bercy (Paris Masters) in a great match. Carlos beat him in Wimbledon, he beat him in Cincinnati,” Medvedev advised reporters.

“Novak goes to be his finest model on Sunday, and I’ve to be the all-time model of myself if I wish to attempt to beat him.

“Novak, when he loses, he’s never the same after… It’s just a different mentality… So, I have to use it knowing that he’s going to be 10 times better than he was that day. And I have to be if I want to still beat him, 10 times better than I was that day.”

Medvedev, nevertheless, stated he would persist with his pre-match routine earlier than dealing with Djokovic.

“I’m going to do all the same. It’s just the mental preparation where… You want to fight till the end, you want to win, and that’s how you should be in the final of a Grand Slam,” he stated.

Medvedev stated the win towards Alcaraz was a confidence enhance however acknowledged that he could be “hell-disappointed” if he had been to lose the ultimate regardless of a profitable run at New York.

“To know I’m capable of doing it on the big stage every time you do it one more time brings more confidence,” Medvedev added.

“You know you can do it again. You want to do it again. You want to feel this. And at the same time, what is most important is to kind of use it but forget about it and go for the next one.”