Russian tennis player Daniil Medvedev, world number two, qualified for the semifinals of the US Open on Friday and could be Novak Djokovic’s last hurdle on his way to completing a full Grand Slam title in one season.
Medvedev beat the young Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime, fifteenth in the world ranking, by 6-4, 7-5 and 6-2 hours in two hours and three minutes of play on the center court of Flushing Meadows (New York).
Hunting for his first Grand Slam, Medvedev will play his third final of a major tournament on Sunday against the winner of Friday’s other semi-final between Serbian Novak Djokovic, world number one, and German Alexander Zverev, new Olympic champion.
Should he face Djokovic, Medvedev would have in his power to avenge his defeat in the final of the last Australian Open and prevent the Serb from completing the first full of major titles in a season in the last 52 years.
The Russian also fell in the final of the 2019 US Open in a five-set battle against Spaniard Rafa Nadal.
“The last time here was a very crazy game. If it’s going to be a game like this on Sunday, I hope to win this time,” the Russian confided after beating Auger-Aliassime.
The Canadian, who was playing his first Grand Slam semifinal at age 21, enjoyed two balls to take the second set but was generally overwhelmed by the devastating game that Medvedev is exhibiting in New York, where he has only given up one set in six matches.
“I don’t think I played my best tennis today but I’m very happy to be in the final on Sunday,” said a smiling Medvedev.
Auger-Aliassime, a quarterback for young Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, was vying to be the youngest male Grand Slam finalist since Argentine Juan Martín del Potro won the 2009 US Open at age 20.
Advised by Toni Nadal, Rafa Nadal’s uncle and trainer, the Montreal tennis player has been generating great expectations for three years but has not finished propping up the decisive moments, as evidenced by his defeat in the eight finals he has played in ATP tournaments.
Her loss to Medvedev barred Canadian representatives from both Open finals, where 19-year-old Leylah Fernández will face 18-year-old British Emma Raducanu for the women’s crown.
– Djokovic wants revenge –
At 34, Novak Djokovic is not only two wins away from becoming the first male tennis player to dominate all Grand Slam tournaments in a single season since Rod Laver in 1969.
A fourth crown at Flushing Meadows would also give ‘Nole’ his 21st Grand Slam title, beating Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal, who total 20 and did not compete in the Open due to injury, in that race.
His next opponent, Alexander Zverev, will be his first real trial by fire in New York as he is the player who beat him in the semifinals of the Tokyo Games.
The German, number four in the ATP rankings, thwarted Djokovic’s desire to add Olympic gold to a season that may be historic in July.
“You have to be perfect, if not, you will not win” against Djokovic, Zverev acknowledged after quickly solving the quarterfinals against South African Lloyd Harris.
The 24-year-old German also has his own pending accounts at Flushing Meadows after in 2020, in his first Grand Slam final, he fell to Austrian Dominic Thiem after holding a two-set lead.
“I know it is going to be a battle,” predicted Djokovic. “But I am prepared for it. These are the obstacles I have to overcome to reach the desired destination.”
In his match record, Djokovic beats Zverev 6-3 but the Olympic defeat, in a best-of-three-set match, was painful.
“It was a tough ending for me emotionally,” admits ‘Nole’.
Djokovic has an astonishing 26-game winning streak in Grand Slam matches but Zverev is also in great form, racking up wins in his last 16 games.
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