In the second semi-final of the Australian Open, Russian Daniil Medvedev and German Alexander Zverev faced each other. And the very composition of this match aroused real emotions. Why are these two tennis players not in love at all and how did their duel go?
Causes of non-compliance
Life is not a TV series, but the timing of the second semi-final match at this year’s Australian Open met the strictest requirements for a blockbuster. World No. 3 Daniel Medvedev challenged Alexander Zverev in it.
The match of great importance for both players took place a few weeks after the launch of the series on Netflix, which is about this pair of tennis players. In it, Zverev appeared as a positive hero and Medvedev as the main negative figure.
The focus of interest was last year’s mutual duel between the players, when Zverev tries to get back to the top after an injury and Medvedev prevents him from doing so with the help of unfair behavior. According to Zverev, Medvedev sowed chaos in the match either by quarreling with the audience or inappropriately choosing the timing of the toilet break.
In short, the Russian earned the designation from the German as one of the the most unfair players on the circuit. Before the mutual match for the final at the opening Grand Slam of the season, there was certainly no shortage of motivation for both tennis players.
Semifinals Medvedev vs. Zverev
The semi-final duel was without a clear favorite. Medvedev is higher on the rankings and he would probably be the clear favorite before the tournament. But Zverev quickly increased the value of his shares with an unexpected triumph over world number two Carlos Alcaraz.
The opening set was a parade of lost serves. Zverev had a two-break lead, but he lost it to symbolically end the set again by winning the Russian’s serve in the eleventh game. Set for Zverev.
The second set clearly belonged to the German tennis player. Served better and played with reasonable aggression. He did not face a single break point and with a 6:3 win he reached the two-set blockbuster.
Medvedev’s third trip to the final in Melbourne in the last four years was beginning to be in jeopardy. At this important point, both players held their serves and played with a minimum of unforced errors. The Russian was closer to the breaks, but the fate of the third set had to be decided by a shortened game. In that one, the native of Moscow confirmed his slight superiority and reduced it to 1:2.
The fourth set followed, and it resembled the previous one like an egg to an egg. Another success of Medvedev in the tiebreak. The match was thus tied at 2:2, and after almost four hours of play, a decisive set followed.
Decisive set
The fifth set brought a break again after a long time and Medvedev was happy about it. He directed the game to complete a big turnaround.
And he ended this great battle with a margin. He worked out a match point already on his opponent’s serve and used it immediately.
The Russian tennis player responded to all manifestations of mutual discord as best he could. He advances to the finals, where he will face Italo Sinner. It will be Medvedev’s sixth Grand Slam final. But adding a second title will be very difficult against the Italian.
Source: Australian Open, Daily Mail
