11/22/2020 11:56 AM
Clarín.com
sports
Updated 11/22/2020 11:58 AM
Russian Daniil Medvedev and Austrian Dominic Thiem will meet this Sunday from 15 in Argentina (ESPN) for the last title of the year in the final of the London Masters, after eliminating favorites Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, numbers one and two of the world ranking.
Medvedev arrives undefeated to the definition after getting his first victory against the Spaniard, whom he finally managed to defeat after two hours and 36 minutes with 3-6, 7-6 (4) and 6-3 sets in an epic battle.
Nadal, true to his style, fought until the end in search of advancing to his third final in his seventeenth participation in the tournament that brings together the best eight of the season at the close of the year, for the last time in London before moving. to Turin.
Medvedevc's celebration after the victory over Nadal.
Photo: EFE
A curse seems to have the native of Manacor who had fallen into his only two definitions: in 2010 against the Swiss Roger Federer and three years later against Djokovic, who had celebrated for the first time in 2008 and also repeated in 2012, 2014 and 2015.
The Serbian did not do better in search of revenge after the lost finals in 2016 and 2018 (against the Scotsman Andy Murray and the German Alexander Zverev) because Thiem eliminated him earlier with partials of 7-5, 6-7 (8) and 7-6 (5).
Two hours and 54 minutes of intense and vibrant game offered by the Serbian and the Austrian, who a year ago fell in the final against the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas and will seek to remove that thorn this Sunday against a Medvedev who arrives in a state of grace.
The Russian arrived at the tournament after celebrating his first crown of the year at the Masters 1000 in Paris-Bercy and on Saturday he achieved his first victory in four meetings with Nadal, who had defeated him three times last year, including the duel they played in this same tournament.
That time it was at the Round Robin, when he said goodbye to the contest without celebration, unlike this edition, where he did not give up even one game so far and confirmed that he is a serious candidate for the throne.
The number four in the ranking has nine victories in a row and now it will be seen with Thiem, who surpassed him in three of the four previous matches and also in the last one, when he eliminated him in the semifinals of the US Open.
"I am very happy because I managed to change in time to win the game," the Russian commented excitedly at the end of the duel with Nadal and the duel with Thiem palpitating, which he acknowledged "is playing in an incredible way."
Dominic Thiem and the astonishment after the victory over Djokovic in a great game.
Photo: AP
This Sunday, the Austrian, third in the world rankings, will have to endorse him on the field after having managed to qualify for the second consecutive year to the final, something that had not happened for four seasons when Djokovic achieved it.
Nole could not beat him in "a fundamentally mental battle", according to Thiem, who confessed that he became "very nervous" when he had the possibility of closing the match in the second set against "someone who is a tennis legend"
"I didn't play badly and I don't feel like he has anything to blame me for. He did better, just that," Djokovic acknowledged.
Source: ANSA
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