Daniil Medvedev delivered another tactical clinic during his win over Hubert Hurkacz at the Australian Open and this time he left even the commentators confused.
In a match that left him physically “destroyed”, Medvedev’s game intelligence was once again clear for all to see as he dealt with Hurkacz’s booming serves with aplomb.
A few days ago Medvedev gave insight into his return position during his victory over Nuno Borges as he explained why he had to stand deep for the big servers in tennis, but on Wednesday he opted to come in for the serves.
After the match tennis great John McEnroe asked him about his decision to change things up and he explained: “He’s probably the only player where even if I stay really far back [on the baseline] it [the ball] continues to go up and doesn’t stay down.
“So it doesn’t really work to stay there. So talking in the press conference [earlier in the week] I knew next match I was going to stay close but I am not going to tell you guys.”
The Eurosport pundits were also full of praise for Medvedev not only about his in-game tactics but also his post-match analysis with former world No 7 Barbara Schett impressed with how the 2021 US Open champion always manages to entertain fans.
“I was very impressed because Hurkacz played some fantastic tennis. The way he moved, he had his tactics set. He was trying to come to the net a lot,” she said. “We know that he has a big serve. Daniil Medvedev had to find a way to get through that match. It was physically very tasking.
“I love watching [him]. He confuses me as well with his return position. Normally, you have the one position where you feel most comfortable and you don’t change it that drastically, but he’s managing to do that. He’s confusing the opponent.
“We saw him at the net several times, which is very unusual. We saw absolutely everything; it was so entertaining. What is it with Daniil Medvedev and Rod Laver Arena? It seems like he always has his physical battles out there.”
Seven-time Grand Slam winner Mats Wilander also waxed lyrical about the world No 3’s game intelligence.
“He’s one of the most intelligent players out there in terms of using what he has to offer,” the Swede stated.
“He can’t hit a topspin backhand very well, so he hits it flat all the time. It’s where he hits it from and to, and where he stands. The whole tournament, he’s been five metres behind the baseline facing a first serve.
“He’s such a clever tennis player. That doesn’t mean that he mixes up the shot selection much, but he is playing his game in different ways every match and sometimes it looks like he’s doing the same thing but he really isn’t.
“He’s very clever and he’s one of the players that if you look at his technique, there’s no chance that he can be up at three in the world and be winning majors and finals. He understands his game; you don’t need great technique if you understand your shots.”
Leave a Reply