Asked about a possible absence of Novak Djokovic, Daniil Medvedev had declared with the scathing humor which characterizes him, at the start of the affair, ten days ago:
“If he does not play, that will make a winner of twenty Grand Slams less, which is a lot!
It is sure that if a guy who has won the tournament nine times is not there, it will open the table a little.
And not just a little...
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Australian Open: men's schedule and results
Australian Open: ladies schedule and results
The Russian, beaten in Melbourne in the final last year by Djokovic and who took his revenge on the Serb a few months later in the final in New York, takes on the role of natural favorite on hard, his favorite surface.
“This victory in New York against Djokovic gave me a lot of confidence, in my life and in my career as a tennis player too,
slipped the world number 2 in a press conference.
I feel much more armed in terms of knowing my game. Now I know what I'm capable of, how I can play and what I have to do to play like that.
Before, I could be a little annoyed, a little nervous when I was not playing well.
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In the event of a title in Melbourne, the protege of Frenchman Gilles Cervara would be the first to win two Grand Slams in a row outside the “Big 3” (Federer, Nadal, Djokovic) since… 1997. American Pete Sampras had won the US Open 1996, then, in stride, the Australian Open 1997. And if he logically dominates Tuesday Henri Laaksonen (92nd in the world) in the 1st round, Daniil Medvedev will perhaps cross iron from unpredictable Nick Kyrgios. But the state of form of the Australian showman remains unclear, he who contracted the Covid at the start of the week.
The most French of Russians, aged 25, could then see on his way the number 2 tricolor, Ugo Humbert. In the second week, the Muscovite has the Argentinian Diego Schwartzman as a potential opponent, then his compatriot Andrey Rublev in the quarter, before a possible semi-final against Stefanos Tsitsipas, a serious outsider, but perhaps not 100% at the start of season. And, in the final, the logic of the classifications and the state of form would like Medvedev to find Alexander Zverev, now firmly installed on the podium. The German remains on a success in the final of the last Masters against the Russian. Both men are 6-6 in their head-to-head encounters, but Medvedev has won five of their last six encounters.
Zverev signed in 2021 the best season of his career with six titles, including that of Olympic champion in Tokyo, by dominating Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals
One certainty: the native of Hamburg, who enters the competition this Monday (9 a.m. in France, Eurosport) against his compatriot Daniel Altmaier, approaches this Australian Open with full confidence.
In 2021, he signed the best season of his career with six titles, including that of Olympic champion in Tokyo, by dominating Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals.
In Turin, in November, the 24-year-old won his second Masters after 2018. He aims to do even better in 2022, by unlocking the Grand Slam counter.
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"Sascha" stumbled three times in the semi-finals last season (Australian Open, Roland-Garros and US Open) and was the unfortunate finalist in New York in 2020. Elected sportsman of the year in Germany, he has now taken a step forward, with fewer and fewer weaknesses in his game and more and more certainties in his head. He thus does not seem unduly disturbed by a cumbersome extra-sports affair. He had been accused of domestic violence by a former girlfriend: “
I am calmer. I'm getting old, too. Maybe I understand some things in life better and it helps me to be more calm in some situations
, he said recently in a podcast to Eurosport.
But the biggest change in my game is my progress on second ball.
In the past six months, I don't think I've had a game where I've committed about 20 double faults.
Zverev, who could find the returning Rafael Nadal in the quarter-finals, can strike very hard at the start of the season in the absence of Novak Djokovic.
And even, dream of first place in the world, in case of coronation.
Just like his rival Daniil Medvedev.
Indeed, if the Russian were to offer himself a second consecutive Major in Melbourne, he would become de facto world number 1.
But if the Australian Open crowns a third player (Nadal? Tsitsipas?), Djokovic will retain world leadership at the end of this month of January.
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