Danil Medvedev is the 2022 champion at the Erste Bank Open in Vienna after coming back to beat Denis Shapovalov 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, in two hours and 16 minutes.
The number one seed hit six aces and won 72% of his first serve points in a match that went the distance. It is the fourth time in his career he has gotten the better of Shapovalov, who he now leads 4-2 in their head-to-head. Medvedev has now won 45 matches this season heading into the final two ATP Tournaments of the year.
“I am really happy,” atptour.com quoted Medvedev as saying afterwards. “This match was the best of the week because Denis was really playing unreal until probably 4-3 in the second set. He dropped his level by maybe two per cent and I was able to use it. This is one of the best victories when you know your opponent is on top of you, but you try and stay there and do what you can.”
The first two games of the final went on serve before the Toronto native was able to break using his powerful backhand to take an early 2-1 lead and was able to consolidate the break. At 4-1, Medvedev got a break back but it wasn’t enough as the Canadian was able to serve out the first set.
The second set was similar to the first but this time it was Medvedev who got the break to take a 3-1 lead and that was enough for him to serve out the second set and force a deciding third set.
By the third set, it was the Russian with all the momentum, and again like the second set broke serve to take a 3-1 lead and jumped out a 5-1 lead, having three match points but they were saved by the Canadian. In the following game, Medvedev served out the match to complete his comeback.
“I like to play indoor hard courts at the end of the season,” Medvedev said. “I feel that I do a great job with my team not to arrive burnt out. I am looking forward to the last two tournaments of the year which are really important and I usually play well.”
Medvedev has now won 15 Tour-level titles so far in his career.
