Daniil Medvedev Hits Back At Rival Tsitsipas Over ‘Boring’ Remark - UBITENNIS
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Daniil Medvedev Hits Back At Rival Tsitsipas Over ‘Boring’ Remark

The two players are known for not seeing eye-to-eye on the tour.

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World No.4 Daniil Medvedev has issued his own dig at Stefanos Tsitsipas after the Greek criticised his playing style.

The two clashed in the semi-finals of the Shanghai Masters last week, which the Russian won in straight sets. Extending his head-to-head record over Tsitsipas to 5-0. However, it was during the post-match press conference where the controversy started. Asked what it is like to play Medvedev on the tour, Tsitsipas replied by saying that it was ‘boring.’

“Well, I don’t mean to be rude at all, actually, at all, but it’s just boring. It’s boring. It’s so boring that — I don’t know.” He said.
“So he has a huge serve, and if you manage to get it back, it’s just countless balls inside the court, which you have, the only way you have to, you can do is hit as hard as you can side to side, be accurate, and make him move.”
“Otherwise you can just play it back to him and play it again and play it again. It just keeps coming back, keeps coming back.”

Medvedev is currently on a nine-match winning streak and has won three out of his past four tournaments played. Two of which were at Masters level. He has won more matches than anybody else on the ATP Tour this season and has featured in six consecutive finals since Wimbledon.

Responding to comments made by his rival at a press conference on Tuesday, the 23-year-old brushed them aside. Poking fun at Tsitsipas’ for what he said about his Laver Cup celebration.

“Every tennis player can say something nasty about some other player. Tsitsipas also gave another interview during Shanghai, if I am not mistaken. He was asked how he celebrated the victory at the Laver’s Cup. Not only me, but many Russian and international tennis players laughed at his answer. After that interview I stopped taking Tsitsipas seriously.” Medvedev stated.
“He said, that he was forced to drink alcohol. Well, nothing serious, but then he said: “Mother, do you hear it? They forced me to drink! It was disgusting, I can show you the video”. That is not funny. I don’t take him seriously after that.”

It is not the first time the two players have had a falling out. During the 2018 Miami Open the umpire had to step in after the conclusion of their match. Both were frustrated with each other for taking long toilet breaks. Medvedev took his at the end of the second set and Tsitsipas took mis midway through the decider. At the end of their match, Medvedev called his rival ‘a small kid who doesn’t know how to fight.’

Alexander Zverev, who was runner-up in Shanghai last week, said the two players have a ‘weird relationship’ on the tour. However, he refuses to get caught up in the fiasco when questioned about it by reporters.

“Stefanos and Daniil have a weird relationship a little bit. So I will leave that to them,” said Zverev.
“I have a very good relationship with Daniil since we’re kids, and I’m having a good relationship with Stefanos now since the Laver Cup. So whatever they have, they can leave it for themselves.”

The German said he disagreed with the idea that Medvedev’s style of play in boring. Having previously described him as currently one of the best players in the world. Medvedev has won 29 out of his last 33 matches played on the tour.

“Daniil is somebody that plays in a way that we have never seen before. So you can see it both ways. Yeah, maybe he doesn’t do huge winners or jumping forehands or anything like that, but he plays a style that we have never seen before.” He explained.
“That is not boring to me. But we have to adjust to it. We play against different players every single day of our lives. Every single player is different. There are no players that play the same way.”

Medvedev has withdrawn from this week’s Kremlin Cup due to fatigue.

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Alexander Zverev proves to be too consistent for a wavering Denis Shapovalov

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Alexander Zverev - Madrid 2024 (photo X @MutuaMadridOpen)

In the last match of the day the No. 5 in the world comfortably seals a 64 75  win and reaches the round of 16 in the Mutua Madrid Open for his seventh time

The Madrid nocturne was poised for entertaining drama when Alexander Zverev and Denis Shapovalov stepped on court at 11 pm. The German looking to emulate his past glorious runs in Madrid, where his name is engraved in the history book as a two-time winner.

And Shapovalov, in his strenuous attempt to retrieve his pre-injury tennis and ranking standards. Let’s not forget he was a Wimbledon semi-finalist in 2021 and a top 10. And let’s not forget aesthetics, the 25-year-old being one of those players endowed with a unique, inimitably stylish leftie game.

Yet the match fell somewhat short of expectations. Too many unforced errors oozing from the Canadian, who was perpetually struggling to hold serve and just as perpetually was unable to pose a threat to Zverev’s, but for a little help in the final stages.

Yes, there were applause-ripping points, plenty enough for editing pleasing highlights, but the match was a lop-sided one, far more than is told by the score.

 Shapovalov was already struggling to hold serve in the third game, when he faced two break points.              

In game 5 two double faults resulted in two further break points. However, Shapovalov, mixing up power and delicacy, alias first services and dropshots. managed to emerge from trouble.

To sum up, the first 6 games had gone with serve, though Zverev had denied access, whereas Shapovalov had  had to save four break points.

Zverev earned three break points in the seventh, after scything an extraordinary backhand volley on the stretch. And this time Shapovalov did not succeed in bouncing back.

A higher first serve percentage – 72%, including 7 aces – and more effective returning granted Zverev the first set.  As well as a predominance in the scarce longer rallies.

Often does the wind change direction at the start of a second set, but Shapovalov insisted on overly indulging in dropshots, resulting in predictability, and lost his service in the first game.

When he faced a break point in the fifth game, after leading 40 15, it seemed as if he was about to throw in the towel. Instead he threw in a backhand passing shot, nimbly flicked with his wrist, and held on.

Back on serve – just a few minutes later, so rapidly did Zverev’s service games whizz past – he saved 5 more break  points with flashes of talent, forays to the net, winning forehands  from all positions.

The match seemed to be edging towards the closing credits, when Zverev was serving for the match at 54.  But never write off panache in tennis. After an overall erratic performance, Shapovalov netted a forehand passing shot, which would have earned him a break point and an assumedly last chance. In turn Zverev netted a match point, suddenly tightened up and ended up dropping his serve, when Shapovalov won a humanly inexplicable rollercoaster point ultimately scooping up a ball from under the net and steering it past his opponent.  

Could the plot take a different twist?

Shapovalov, who had seemed fired up after grabbing the break, abruptly deflated and disappointed expectations by losing his service to love.

Serving a second time for the match, Zverev faltered once more and faced his second break point in the match, which would have meant tie break and a leap into the unknown.

His most formidable weapon, his serve, picked up again and just in time. Three thundering first serves ushered him into the round of 16, where he will be facing Francisco Cerundolo, a resilient winner of Tommy Paul in three sets.

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Andrey Rublev Clashes With Umpire During Madrid Open Win

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Andrey Rublev says two decisions made by the umpire during his third round match at the Madrid Open were ‘wrong’ with the points going against him.

The world No.8 clashed with official Adel Nour during his 7-6(10), 6-3, win over Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. It began seven games into the match when a shot from the Spaniard was called out which prompted him to immediately challenge. Then after some confusion, the umpire stated that the shot was in but decided to award the point to Fokina instead of replaying it. A decision that prompted an angry response from Rublev who demanded a replay but officials were unable to do so.

In the second set, a similar situation occurred when a Rublev return was initially called out before the umpire ruled it in. However, the official decided to issue a replay instead of giving the Russian the point. 

“I mean I felt it was wrong because in the first set was exactly the same situation and I told the referee, I agree that yes I couldn’t make it, I hit it out,” The Express quoted Rublev as saying afterwards.
“But the referee called out earlier than I hit [it]. And then second set, the same situation but the referee called it also later than Alejandro hit and the referee told me no, but he was in the position that he could make it. And I say yes but he was trying to make it and he missed it and then it was out.”
“Exactly the same two situations and both of them in my situation, he gave the point to Alejandro and in Alejandro’s situation, we replayed the point.”

Controversy aside, Rublev has now won back-to-back matches in the Tour for the first time since February when he was disqualified from the Dubai Tennis Championships for unsportsmanlike conduct. After that incident, he launched a successful appeal to the ATP who ruled the penalty as ‘disproportionate’ and returned his rankings points and prize money. However, a fine of nearly $30,000 was upheld. 

Rublev currently has a win-loss record of 17-8 so far this season. In Madrid, he will play Tallon Griekspoor in the fourth round. 

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Juan Martin Del Potro Praises Future Of Tennis, Speaks On Memories With Nadal

Juan Martin Del Potro spoke about Rafael Nadal’s retirement and the future of tennis.

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(@argentenista - Twitter)

Juan Martin Del Potro has spoken about the future of tennis as well as Rafael Nadal’s pending retirement.

The Argentinian retired in 2022 when he played his last match against Federico Delbonis in Buenos Aires with Del Potro struggling with a knee injury during his last tournaments.

Del Potro spoke about competing against ‘the big four,’ expectations while playing on the tour and having no regrets over his last match, “Having won a Grand Slam in the best of the big three has special value,” Del Potro told Punto De Break.

“Now that speaks of the big three but between us we always talked about the fantastic four because Andy Murray has always been the closes to the best in all of history. Any victory against them was of impressive value.

“Having won a Grand Slam may sound little, but it’s not. Playing quarters and semis against the best gives me the peace of mind that, despite not having achieved big tournaments, I always fought them and that’s enough for me.”

Having experienced big success in the sport, Del Potro knows how tough it is physically to stay at the top.

Also the Argentinian knows how hard it is to retire on your own terms and that’s a dilemma that Rafael Nadal faces as the Spaniard is set to end his illustrious career this season.

Del Potro discussed Nadal’s impending retirement as well as some of the memories he had on the court against the Spaniard, “I think we have to start assimilating that a tennis stage is going to end. Roger is no longer there, but his legacy was very marked forever. And now Nadal is giving himself the pleasure of retiring in his own way and under his own conditions,” Del Potro stated.

“And it’s something that unfortunately I couldn’t do for my health. Rafa’s thing is impressive. Seeing him play and seeing that passion for competing and that energy he has is something unique and I don’t know if there will be something similar in the coming years.

“I hope I’ll cross it now and say hello and I’ll keep watching it on TV. I’m not watching much tennis, but if Rafa or Novak plays, of course I look at it.

“Rio’s match was emotionally very strong and spectacular, as an Argentine in Brazil and against Rafa. Another game I remember was the semifinals of the 2009 Us Open, but there is one that I lost against Nadal who was at Wimbledon 2018. I lost that game, but at the end we gave each other a hug. It was super emotional and when I see images of that game and that moment I don’t care about having lost because that moment is already winning.

“The result doesn’t matter, but that hug, the emotion, the fans. It was an unforgettable day and those were the great memories I have with Rafa.”

Finally Del Potro reflected on the future of tennis with Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner expected to have a fierce rivalry at the top of the game.

The former US Open champion compared it to rivalries of the past and is excited for what they can bring to tennis, “I love seeing Alcaraz because he has a freshness and a naturalness to walk on the track that looks like a 30-year-old guy who has been on the circuit for 10 and is super young,” Del Potro explained.

“It’s going to be very good for tennis, that face to face against Sinner. He is going to build a rivalry that tennis constantly had. First it was Agassi-Sampras, then Roger-Rafa, then Novak. And now it will be the two of them.”

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