Medvedev plays two great sets; the Russian emerges as one of the favorites of the tournament and is clearly in contention to retain the title.

By Federico Bertelli

(1) D. Medvedev b G. Dimitrov 3-6 6-2 6-4

Sparkling tennis presented here in Vienna by Medvedev and Dimitrov, in a clash of styles that has greatly entertained the paying crowd, who flocked in large numbers taking advantage of the Austrian national holiday. The result was somewhat expected even though Dimitrov was coming from a great period of form, having reached the semifinals in Shanghai. Head-to-head on hard court against Medvedev, he trailed 5-1; however, the past did not influence the Bulgarian who really gave his best shots on this occasion, but against such a Medvedev today, he couldn’t prevail. A pity for Dimitrov, who leaves with his chin up high and with the awareness of having rediscovered excellent tennis.

First set: Dimitrov starts well

Match between two players who brilliantly overcame their first-round encounters, with Medvedev who demolished Fils and Dimitrov who handled Musetti. The first interesting situation is in the third game on Medvedev’s serve, where he faced two break points due to some unforced errors. Opportunities erased by two winning serves from the Russian. However, Dimitrov earns a third chance with an aggressive return, converting due to another error from Medvedev. Today we see a very active Dimitrov, with footwork working wonders, both in short ball adjustments and in more challenging recoveries, all seasoned with numerous variations and rapid accelerations. If you want a summary of the Bulgarian’s game, revisit the last two points of the sixth game; a real treat.

For Medvedev, a tough day at the office is on the cards; he will have to put in extra hours to bring it home, as he does not seem to be on top form. The problems amplify as the set progresses with the Muscovite continuing to make unforced errors and giving away the double break. At 5-2, the Bulgarian serves for the set. Medvedev’s difficulties seem due to a lack of patience in rally management and the urgency to initiate, so as not to then suffer Dimitrov’s champagne tennis.

Tactically, Grigor is playing a perfect match, varying appropriately with slices both down the line and cross-court, and switching to the forehand whenever possible, but also displaying some beautiful topspin backhands.

Just when the set seems lost, Medvedev decides it’s time to get serious and finally starts rallying patiently, waiting for the right moment to hurt his opponent. Said and done, first break recovered, but Dimitrov understands the importance of the moment and does not let Medvedev catch his breath. A third break of serve conceded by the Russian (a real rarity on indoor courts) despite having served over 75% of first serves in, and the set concludes with a clear 6-3 for the Bulgarian.

Second set favors the Russian

In the second set, the Bulgarian drops his guard a bit in the first game, going from 30-0 up to being broken by the Russian, who gains confidence and starts the set with a completely different attitude.

During the second set, we witness on one hand the growth of Medvedev, and on the other, the stall of Dimitrov, whose serving performance in particular collapses. Dimitrov’s tactic of slowly cooking Medvedev suddenly doesn’t seem to work anymore. The Russian starts to grind with his backhand against the venomous trajectories of the Bulgarian that worked so well in the first set. Once Medvedev gets into the rallies, he then takes control, and his serving also returns to its commanding ways. It’s truly spectacular to see how the match’s momentum shifted during prolonged rallies.

Third set, the showdown with Medvedev now unbeatable

After two contrasting sets, it heads to the third, with Dimitrov regaining some good vibes and starting with a service game won to love. That Grigor is now fully intent on exerting maximum effort is evident in the way he begins the subsequent game with Daniil serving: Dimitrov is nimble, retrieving everything. He’s also unlucky when trying to advance on the Russian’s second serve, yet still gets to break point.

A grand 33-shot rally follows, in which perhaps Grigor’s only fault is attempting one counterpunch too many when he had the upper hand. Here, however, Medvedev unleashes his best version, initially repelling everything, and then with a down-the-line backhand, he breaks Dimitrov’s resistance for good. The game finally ends with Medvedev passing at the net after a desperate defense by the Bulgarian.

Now, the match elevates in quality as both players showcase their best, with a rain of standout points now. For Dimitrov, it’s crucial to get some help from his serve and to score some quick points; it would be tough to play an entire set this breathlessly. We reach a break point with the Russian leaning wonderfully on Dimitrov’s shots. However, Dimitrov manages to save it after a 27-shot rally, then clinches the game by boldly coming to the net to claim the point, brave given Medvedev’s deadly passing shots. After the first four games of the set, it feels like Medvedev is the favorite. It remains to be seen how much fuel is left in Dimitrov’s tank, as he’s having to fight tooth and nail for every point.

The Russian now returns almost any serve that the Bulgarian throws at him, which is notably without much of a serve-and-volley strategy today. Serving efficiency is undeniably the key differentiator: while Dimitrov struggles to read Medvedev’s serve in the third set, the Russian manages to return with deep, spin-loaded trajectories consistently. Dimitrov now consistently tries to serve over 210 km/h, but the ball doesn’t land in. Another break point opportunity for the Russian, which he wastes with a backhand error after a 17-shot rally. Yet, Medvedev isn’t clinical enough, squandering another break point at a time when Dimitrov just can’t find his first serve. Regardless, today Dimitrov appears to be a cat that always manages to claw its way back from the edge, maintaining a tenuous balance.

In the ninth game, Grigor once again finds himself in a tight spot, going down 0-40, unable to find his first serve and trying unsuccessfully to break through the Russian wall. This time, Dimitrov concedes his service game to love, letting Medvedev serve for the match, who in this game managed to respond to every possible acceleration the Bulgarian threw at him.

Medvedev thus serves for the match, with Dimitrov still playing a couple of spectacular points to get to 30-30. However, Daniil remains unshaken and, with two strong first serves, secures his place in the quarterfinals against Khachanov. Nevertheless, Dimitrov exits with his head held high, having seriously tested Medvedev in what has surely been the match of the tournament so far, filled with hard-fought and exquisite rallies.

In the post-match interview, Medvedev stated, “It was a great match. In the second set, I started to play faster, reduced my errors, and began to move better. In the first set, I made too many mistakes; he was playing well, and I couldn’t find my rhythm. In the second set, I tried to keep more balls in play and then be aggressive when I could.”

For Medvedev, this is his seventh consecutive win here in Vienna, including those from 2022.