Danil Medvedev saves two match points to edge Jannik Sinner at the ATP Finals in Turin - UBITENNIS

Danil Medvedev saves two match points to edge Jannik Sinner at the ATP Finals in Turin

By sampaolo
4 Min Read

Danil Medvedev saved two match points to battle past Jannik Sinner 6-0 6-7 (5-7) 7-6 (10-8) in a thrilling match at the Nitto ATP Finals at the Pala Alpitour in Turin. 

Medvedev had already secured his qualifying spot for the semifinal when he beat Alexander Zverev. He clinched his third consecutive round-robin win to top the Red Group with a 3-0 record. Alexander Zverev’s win over Hubert Hurkacz meant that Sinner was already eliminated after replacing injured Matteo Berrettini. 

Medvedev broke in the first game after a loose game from Sinner. Medvedev earned a double break to open up a 3-0 lead after just 11 minutes. Medvedev got his third break to race out to a 5-0 lead and served out to take a bagel win in the first set in 25 minutes. The Russian player committed just three unforced errors. 

Sinner bounced back in the second set by winning his first game after 33 minutes. The Italian star broke serve to take a 3-1 lead, but Medvedev broke straight back. Sinner held his next three service games to secure a tie-break. Sinner earned the set point at 6-5 with his only mini-break thanks to a a passing shot and sealed the tie-break with a forehand down the line. 

Sinner earned a break in the fifth game to take a 3-2 lead after a double fault from Medvedev. The Russian player pulled back on serve to 4-4 in the eighth game. 

Medvedev rallied from a break down in the third set and fended off two match points at 5-6 and 7-8 in the tie-break of the third set and sealed the win with a backhand winner on his second match point to improve his head-to-head record to 3-0 against Sinner. In their previous two clashes Medvedev beat Sinner in Marseille in 2020 and 2021. 

“It was a tough match. Mentally it was tough knowing that the match was a dead rubber, but i didn’t want to lose my rhythm. I won the first set quite easily and I was like, continue this way. The second set was about an hour or so and then in the third set. You are not going to not play the third set because I like to win. I don’t like to lose. I am happy I won. Sinner is a great player. He is already in the top 10. At his age I reached the top 100”, said Medvedev. 

Medvedev will face either Casper Ruud or Andrey Rublev in the semifinals. Ruud will face Rublev in a decisive match. Novak Djokovic will face Alexander Zverev in the other semifinal. 

“When I know that I am in the next round and I am waiting for my opponent, I watch the match to see how they play. So I am just going to watch it and enjoy it and wait for the winner”, said Medvevev. 

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