For Eurosport expert Boris Becker one thing is clear: the first challenger to his former protégé and eight-time Australian Open winner Novak Djokovic is Daniil Medvedev (ATP 4). Given the facts, the German’s opinion is understandable. The 6: 2, 7: 5, 6: 1 in the 2nd round against the Spaniard Roberto Carballes Baena was Medvedev’s 16th win in a row on the tour. Ten of these 16 successes were against top ten players.
“These victories gave me a huge boost in confidence, of course,” said Medvedev. The last time the Muscovite lost a game in Vienna at the end of October, since then he has won the Masters 1000 tournament in Paris-Bercy, the ATP finals in London and the ATP Cup with Russia. The title in Paris was Medvedev’s third triumph in the last six Masters 1000 tournaments. The other three events of the second highest tournament category after the Grand Slams were won by Novak Djokovic.
Step by step, Medvedev, who is almost two meters tall and playing a little unorthodox, has worked his way to the top. In 2018 he celebrated his first three tournament victories on the tour, and four more followed in 2019, including the triumph in Shanghai. He first hinted at his potential as a future Grand Slam winner at the 2019 US Open, when he advanced into the final and demanded everything from Rafael Nadal for five sets.
“A lot is possible in tennis in particular if you have the momentum on your side,” said Medvedev on Thursday, when he celebrated his 25th birthday. He proved that he also has a sense of humor after his clear win against Carballes Baena in an interview. “If I had lost, I would have celebrated properly. Now I’m just unwrapping my wife’s present because I have to train again tomorrow.”
Not quite as experienced yet, but at least as talented as Medvedev is Andrei Rublev. The eighth in the world rankings, who was also born in Moscow, is one and a half years younger than his teammate in the ATP Cup triumph last week. In the last season, which was massively affected by the corona virus, the 2014 junior winner of Roland Garros was the climber of the year. Rublew won five tournaments – more than any other – and made it into the top 10 for the first time after the French Open. He had tackled 2019 as number 115 in the ranking.
Like Medvedev, Rublew only made one set in six games in 2021. In Melbourne, the two are in the same Tableau district and would meet in the quarter-finals. “I wish that,” said Rublew. “If that happened, it would be perfect,” said Medvedev, who won their three previous duels with a total of 7-0 sets.
In the same half of the tableau there is another Russian, Karen Khachanov. The 24-year-old, who lives in Dubai and is number 20 in the world, is only 3rd in the team’s internal ranking. In 2018, he triumphed in Paris-Bercy, replacing Nikolai Dawydenko as the last Russian winner at a Masters event at the time. After reaching the quarter-finals at the 2019 French Open, Khachanov made it into the top ten. In 2020, however, it stagnated and never made it past the quarter-finals at any tournament.
Whether Chatschanow, Medvedev or Rublew, the names of the Russian trio are likely to come up again and again in the run-up to a Grand Slam tournament when the wider circle of favorites is named. And there’s a good chance that Marat Safin, who won the US Open in 2000 and the Australian Open in 2005 and led Russia to two Davis Cup triumphs, will soon be replaced as the last Russian major champion. Maybe the Sunday after next in Melbourne. (sda)
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