Medvedev beats Djokovic to reach semis at ATP Finals

Daniil Medvedev is having fun with the ATP Finals quite a bit higher in his second look. Medvedev secured a spot within the semifinals of the season-ending event by dominating five-time champion Novak Djokovic 6-3, 6-3 Wednesday for his second straight win of the group stage.

Medvedev, who misplaced all three of his group matches final 12 months on his event debut, has now overwhelmed Djokovic in three of their final 4 conferences. The top-ranked Serb can nonetheless advance if he beats 2018 champion Alexander Zverev in a winner-takes-all match on Friday.

Zverev stored his event hopes alive with a 6-3, 4-6, 6-Three victory over Diego Schwartzman earlier Wednesday. Medvedev broke Djokovic three straight occasions to go from 3-Three within the first set to a 3-Zero lead within the second. The first break got here after a marathon sport when the Russian lastly transformed his third break level when Djokovic missed a forehand after an extended rally.

Djokovic then double-faulted on set level and by no means regarded more likely to stage a comeback within the second. Medvedev saved the one break level he confronted at 2-Zero after which secured the victory with a forehand winner on his first match level.

“He was just better, no question about it,” Djokovic stated. ”Just not a fantastic match from my aspect. I assumed I may have and may have achieved higher, however credit score to him for taking part in on a excessive degree.”

Medvedev is wanting much more snug on the O2 Arena than final 12 months, when his three losses included a collapse towards Rafael Nadal in a match the place he led 5-1 within the third set.

“You always have doubts in your head, like maybe next year is going to be (like) last year in London, I’m going to go out there and be tight, again, I’m not going to show anything in the Masters finals,” Medvedev stated. “Well, not the case. Finished No. 1 in the group already, which is great.”

Zverev, coming off what he had described as one in every of his worst matches of the season in his opening loss to Medvedev on Monday, led 3-1 within the second set earlier than his Argentine opponent battled again with two breaks. A visibly pissed off Zverev fired a ball into the empty stands after shedding the second set.

The 23-year-old German recovered and broke Schwartzman twice within the third set. Schwartzman, who struggled with unforced errors, despatched a forehand into the web to finish the match. The decisive Zverev-Djokovic match on Friday can be a rematch of the ultimate from two years in the past when the German received in straight units.

“I’m happy to give myself a chance to go to the semifinals,” Zverev stated. “I need to win every match, otherwise I’m out, so I’ve got to go in with that mindset. I went to that mindset today, and I did my job.”

Schwartzman broke early within the first set, however like in Monday’s loss to Djokovic he instantly gave it again. Zverev broke once more for a 4-2 lead because of Schwartzman’s unforced errors.

On Thursday, Rafael Nadal will play Stefanos Tsitsipas with a semifinal place at stake. Nadal has misplaced to Tsitsipas simply as soon as in six conferences — on the 2019 Madrid Open. He beat Tsitsipas right here final 12 months within the spherical robin earlier than the 22-year-old Greek went on to win the title. Nadal has by no means received the ATP Finals.

Also Thursday, Dominic Thiem, who has already certified for the semifinals, faces Andrey Rublev. The Russian is 0-2 and might’t advance.