“I like to compete with the players from the Big Four”
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On Saturday in the finals of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open, which ended in Doha, the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) 250 tournament with a prize pool of $1.4 million, Daniil Medvedev in two games he beat Briton Andy Murray, having won his second title in the last two weeks and the 17th in his career. In an interview with a Kommersant correspondent Evgeny Fedyakov the Russian paid tribute to his famous opponent, explained why he was not satisfied with the balls that were used at the Australian Open, and shared the nuances of performing with a personal logo on the equipment.
– For the first time since 2019, you decided to play three tournaments at once in February – in Rotterdam, Doha and Dubai. Did you have to adjust your plans after the defeat in the 1/16 finals of the Australian Open, or did you have other reasons for this choice?
– In principle, I like to change the calendar of tournaments depending on what goals I am guided by in a given time period. Let’s say last year at the same time I went to Mexico. But now the interval between the end of the Australian Open and the start of the Dutch tournament has increased from one week to two, so, regardless of my results in Melbourne, I decided in advance to play in Rotterdam, Doha, where, by the way, I had never played before, and in Dubai. And an early flight to Australia only added arguments in favor of such a choice.
– Was it difficult to get used to the rather slow outdoor courts in Doha after a week spent under a roof in Rotterdam?
– Playing several tournaments in a row is always difficult, especially when you go far along the grid, and the conditions change and you have little time to adapt. In such cases, in the early tournament stages, the confidence that you gain after good performances helps. And then you gradually adapt to new conditions.
– On Saturday after winning the final, you criticized the balls that were used in Doha, and before that – at the Australian Open. Can you explain in more detail why they did not please you so much?
– These balls – Dunlop Australian Open – I really really don’t like. In Melbourne, I felt discomfort in my right hand and at first I thought that the reason was solely in me. But then in Rotterdam, we discussed this issue with one doubles player, and he said that a good half of the doubles representatives faced similar problems: some had wrist pains, others had elbows, others had shoulders. Then I was a little surprised and decided to express my opinion on this topic after the tournament was won, so that my words would not look like an excuse for my own defeat. Now it will be interesting to watch the reaction of other players. Will even twenty people express themselves in the same vein? For me, the situation looks fundamental. Because it’s one thing when the quality of the balls only affects your game, and quite another when you get injured because of it.
– Where was it more difficult for you – in Rotterdam, where you had to play five matches, and the final against the Italian Jannik Sinner consisted of three sets, or in Doha, where you did not have time to prepare, played four matches, and the final against Andy Murray consisted of two parties?
Both tournaments were difficult in their own way. In Rotterdam, at first I was completely out of shape, I did not feel confident in my abilities, I played very poorly in training and also started my first match. During the tournament, I managed to get in shape, although the final against Yannick Sinner, who played great tennis in the first game, was very difficult for me physically. Probably, in Doha against Andy Murray, in a sense, it was a little easier, although there were also emotional swings here. In addition, we played with slow balls on a very slow court, and even a score of 40:0, which is considered quite comfortable, did not guarantee success for each of us in individual games.
– Andy Murray is a great champion with an extraordinary destiny. How much do you value the victory in the final over him?
— I like to compete with players from the so-called big four. Yes, Roger Federer has already retired, but any match against Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray is always something special. And now it was very cool to meet Murray in the final. This is a great champion. By the way, I was very nervous before the match, because I saw what meetings Andy pulled out on the way to the final, and I understood that he would fight to the last ball.
Your playing styles are somewhat similar. But perhaps there is something about Murray tennis that you are missing?
“You want to learn everything from such outstanding people. Probably, mine and his tennis are in some sense really similar in terms of building a game. True, Murray’s shots are much tighter and stronger, also because he uses a heavier racket with head balance.
– How do you assess your prospects in Dubai, where, against the backdrop of fatigue, which has probably accumulated after two full weeks, on a very fast surface in the first round, you will have to play with the 110th racket of the world Italian Matteo Arnaldi, who lost in the last round of qualification, but got into main draw as lucky loser?
– Physically, I feel good, although not one hundred percent. I hope that confidence will help me after two tournaments won. Anyway, I’m fully committed to playing Dubai. Although, of course, unlike my opponent, I will have to adapt to the surface and balls on the go.
– Have you changed anything in your preparation after losing four matches in a row at the end of last season?
– Fundamentally not. But every day we try to adapt the training process depending on my physical condition and specific tasks in this or that segment of the season. This applies to both tactics and individual strikes. And I am glad that this work is now yielding results.
– Since the beginning of the year, you started to go out on the court with your personal brand logo on the equipment. In this regard, have the sensations that you experience on the court somehow changed?
– Probably, there is an additional responsibility: I want to play even better than before. Unfortunately, in Australia it did not work out, but now I have taken two titles. I am very pleased with the warm, friendly relationship that connects me with the company Lacoste, and I hope that this is mutual. The launch of a personal logo is not only an important stage in the career of any athlete, but also an indicator that they believe in it. Therefore, I will do everything in my power to move forward with my old and possibly new partners.
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