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Jannik Sinner fails the Medvedev exam in the quarters of the ATP 250 in Marseille. Daniil wins in two sets, 6-3 6-4 the final score of a match played with courage by the blue, but seasoned with too many mistakes against the substance and quality of the Russian, now objectively stronger. It remains an important match for Jannik, due to the attitude shown throughout the match.
That the match was very difficult on a tactical level was known from the beginning, because the qualities of the Russian are “perfect” to defuse the game of the South Tyrolean (as indeed that of most rivals). Sinner has a very aggressive tennis in thrust, but at the moment it is “relatively limited”: he looks for the winner in thrust and progression, tries to lead the rival to error in thrust progression. When he does not break through the rival or leads him to make mistakes (exactly the best qualities of Medvedev …), by dint of risking pushing the error sooner or later arrives, especially with the forehand, a very powerful but even less stable and constant blow, especially in the cross solution due to its executive mechanics with the weight of the body still struggling to transfer forward, remaining a little “seated” in the rotation at the moment of impact. To win against an excellent Medvedev you have to be terribly offensive, making very few mistakes and stealing his playing time by forcing him to speed everything up; or an even tougher and more solid wall, a la Djokovic to say. Sinner played a decent game for attitude, he tried without ever pulling the oars in the boat, but with so many mistakes and with so little help from the serve it was really difficult to put the Russian in difficulty, today in an excellent day.
Medvedev, on the other hand, was calm, solid, practically perfect with the first serve, so much so that at times he was unplayable, especially after taking the advantage of a break. He managed to bring the match into his “swamp”, where he slips in total safety, crushing the blue defense after defense, ball after ball.
Sinner tried, he pushed hard to “break through” the rival with a progression at very high speed, with his feet close to the bottom line and accelerating at full speed, but the Russian went into “wall” mode, collected and very little wrong, leading the blue to force too much and, after a few shots, make a mistake. In addition to the performance of the shots at the beginning of the game (before constant service, very long responses), the key to the match was the Russian’s ability to hold the diagonal of the right cross by proposing long and weightless defensive balls to the blue, which Jannik tried to push with very aggressive fast impulses, but without being able to break through he ended up committing errors in thrust at third or fourth acceleration. Furthermore, Jannik cannot ignore a better performance with the first serve. This is the technical-tactical photo of the match, which will in any case remain a training experience for Sinner, to understand where his limits are, how to enrich his tennis to face and put in difficulty the best in the world.
Here is the report of the meeting.
The match starts at 4.50pm with Sinner at bat. Long exchange, Medvedev changes pace with a nice backhand cross and closes in advance. Jannik has to be very careful of sudden changes in Russian, thanks to which he manages to overturn the exchanges in his favor. With a significant, deep and precise pressing, the blue tears the first 15 of the match, and with an Ace closes the first game, 1-0 ahead. Medvedev serves, precise firsts and fluid shots, at 15 he hits 1 all. The first point of the third game is Jannik’s Tennis Manifesto: a series of progressive backhands, one longer and more powerful than the other, until the rival shortens and off on the court with his feet to anticipate and push hard with right by locking in the open corner. Powerful, precise, winning. The right seems to be on the ball today, Sinner goes 2-1 at zero. The set moves forward following the batting rounds, vertical and fast tennis, up to the fifth game. Jannik does not find the first, strength from the bottom but the first mistakes arrive, 0-30. The Russian increases the decibels of his “grunt” to raise the pressure, Sinner continues to push hard. A winning acceleration comes out by a whisker, an error that brings him 15-40, the first two chances of extension for Daniil. Another very fast right cross runs off the corridor, a few centimeters. Break Medvedev, 3-2 and service. Jannik too foul, trying to impose his tennis. The Russian is very centered: he serves well, proposes balls that are not so “heavy” but very long, which Jannik is having difficulty replaying at maximum acceleration. His gaze is also very concentrated, without conceding anything he consolidates his advantage by climbing 4-2. Super aggressive Daniil in the seventh game, trying to “kill” the set; the service again does not help the blue. To the advantages, Medvedev snatches a ball from the double break. Daniil from the center governs the rhythms of the exchange, jumps Jannik left and right but is the first to make a mistake with a just wide right cross. A difficult smash thrown by Sinner costs him the second break point of the game. Medvedev is a wall, Sinner pushes but misses with the backhand, on the net. 5-2 Medvedev, to serve for the first set. The Russian is a batting machine, even a second Ace at the T at 30-15, he is double set point. Ok the second, yet another long straight from Jannik in push. 6-2 Medvedev, a set dominated by the Russian, too more precise and continuous in the service.
Second set, Jannik starts the bar again. In the third game he goes into difficulty, a couple of mistakes cost him 0-30. He is good and brave to move forward, closing in flight with an excellent hand at 15-30. A backhand error from the center, however, costs him the first break point of the second set. Jannik cancels it by advancing with the forehand in the center, powerful and precise and then an amazing acceleration from the backhand from the center, an inside out that pinches the line. 2-1 Sinner. Medvedev at the joke is a machine, he concedes nothing; Sinner is in trouble again in the fifth game, 15-30 and nothing before. Daniil defends himself, Jannik pushes hard but is the first to make a mistake, still with the forehand with his feet on the pitch. Double break ball Medvedev. The blue builds the point very well, but the high backhand volley in advance (with the field fairly open) dies abundantly out. Break Medvedev, the match now seems in total control, 3-2 ahead and serve. In safety the Russian consolidates the advantage, 4-2, but finally concedes the first break point of the match serving at 4-3, 30-40. Swaps in the center, Sinner tries but an aggressive drive is just long. Exact photo of the match: Jannik is strong-willed, he pushes, he risks, but too many mistakes. Medvedev is saved with the service, remains ahead 5-3. The blue does not give up until the end, with a good game at the service and no mistake in pushing remains in the game, down 4-5. The Russian goes to serve to close the match. And how good is it … beating in all corners, in fact you do not play. 40-0 and three match points. Closes on the second, another trip with the service in the center.
Game Set Match Medvedev, a deserved victory that brings him to the semifinals in Marseille. A match from which Jannik can learn a lot.
Marco Mazzoni
[1] Daniil Medvedev 
vs [5] Jannik Sinner 
ATP ATP Marseille
Medvedev D.-
6
6
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Sinner J.-
2
4
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Winner: Medvedev D.
Service
Development
Set 2
Medvedev D.
15-0
0-15
15-15
15-30
30-30
30-40
40-40
A-40
–
4-3 → 5-3
–
Medvedev D.
15-0
30-0
30-15
40-15
40-30
–
1-2 → 2-2
–
Sinner J.
0-15
0-30
15-30
30-30
30-40
40-40
A-40
–
1-1 → 1-2
–
Sinner J.
0-15
15-15
30-15
30-30
40-30
–
0-0 → 0-1
–
Service
Development
Set 1
Sinner J.
15-0
30-0
30-15
40-15
40-30
40-40
A-40
40-40
40-A
40-40
40-A
–
4-2 → 5-2
–
Medvedev D.
15-0
30-0
40-0
40-15
40-30
–
1-2 → 2-2
–
Sinner J.
0-15
15-15
30-15
30-30
40-30
–
0-0 → 0-1
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7 Ace 2
3 Double Fouls 0
80%% first service 79%
80%% of points won on first serve 50%
71%% of points won on second serve 83%
3/5 Break point 0/1
0 Tiebreak Won 0
24 Points won in response 13
61 Points won 45
12 Games Won 6
5 Max games won in a row 1
7 Max points won in a row 4
37 Points Won in Service 32
9 Games Won in Service 6
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DG2OMCCEhdQ
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