As constant as five-time titlist Carlos Alcaraz has been at the excursion this yr to this point, there may be one guy forward of him by means of one event within the ATP record of maximum wins: Daniil Medvedev, his opponent on Friday.
For the self-proclaimed hard-court specialist, that is an outstanding takeaway from the primary six months of the excursion unfold — albeit no longer similarly — throughout not easy, clay and grass courts. The 6’6” Russian nonetheless stands the tallest at the not easy stuff, however he positive is rising his presence at the extra herbal surfaces of the game.
Medvedev’s Wimbledon semi-final spot, overcoming a difficult Christopher Eubanks barrier and a mid-match blip in a five-set quarter-final win, is a vital statement of that.
The 2021 US Open champion had by no means made it previous the fourth around in his 4 appearances on the All England Club. Barred from competing remaining yr, the Russian got here into this Wimbledon with early exits within the two lead-up grass-court occasions. The expectancies and eyeballs on him — Medvedev is but to play on Center Court this yr — had been, understandably, low. The global No.3 “wasn’t feeling so well with my tennis”, sporting that into his opening around the place he was once afflicted a little by means of British wild card Arthur Fery.
The lanky Russian’s season to this point, alternatively, has been outlined by means of discovering a technique to really feel extra at house outdoor of his convenience zone. After clinching the Miami Masters hard-court identify in April, Medvedev quickly set out to switching and adapting on clay, a floor he had in the past publicly said his hatred for. The Rome Masters passed him his first identify at the grime and a shot within the arm in his trust of changing into a greater multi-court participant, which even a first-round go out on the French Open to Brazilian Thiago Seyboth Wild may no longer hose down.
“On clay, I discovered one thing, particularly within the motion. Rome was once superb, however even Roland Garros and different losses, I performed smartly; simply that my warring parties had been higher,” he said after his quarter-final win on Wednesday. “I did not have this sense the place, ‘Oh my god, clay, I can’t win a event’.”
Ditto on grass. Except, unlike at the French Open where he’d at least made a quarter-final in 2021, Wimbledon had been, result-wise, his worst Slam where he simply could not “get right into a float”. That changed after the opening round. .
“I controlled to search out this rhythm which I hardly had on grass, which is for the reason that jump is…it is going in the course of the court docket, so you will be overdue at the (racquet) swing,” he said.
Medvedev plays on grass much like he does anywhere else — largely positioning himself as far behind the baseline as possible. The low bounce deprives him of the time and swing he can generate behind his flat groundstrokes. Yet he carries one weapon which can prove lethal on grass. Medvedev’s serve won’t blow opponents away, but is solid enough to trouble them consistently. His 57 aces are the sixth most in this tournament, and the highest among the remaining men.
“On grass, I feel like you have to adapt less, in a way. You just have to serve well and try to return (well) and make one break a set,” he mentioned.
Losing the second one and 3rd units towards Eubanks, Medvedev’s revival was once led by means of the serve; he misplaced only one level on his first serve within the fourth set. And in tweaking his ways and positioning himself so much nearer to the baseline. “Straightaway, I felt that it was putting more pressure on him, so I continued doing it,” he mentioned.
Medvedev should proceed being sharp, each in his problem-solving and his sport on grass, come Friday.
Like Medvedev, the arena No.1 has been in wealthy shape this season. Like Medvedev, the 20-year-old hadn’t gained an entire of suits on grass earlier than this season. The simplest time the 2 have performed at the floor earlier than was once within the 3rd around of the 2021 Wimbledon, the place the extra skilled Russian gained in instantly units. But this Alcaraz is so much other to that, on grass and past. The uncooked energy has advanced right into a extra ruthless, subtle model. Medvedev is aware of that.
“When he was 17, which was actually not long ago, he was missing (shots),” Medvedev mentioned. “Everyone saw that he is amazing, but everyone was wondering if he is going to find a way to miss less (while) producing the same power. And he did. Quite fast.”