Medvedev, champion of the Masters 1,000 in Rome

TO Daniel Medvedev He was supposed to win only on clay, his nemesis, and the Russian, the champion of the United States Open in 2021, who has always been reserved on clay, did not miss an excellent opportunity to get his doctorate on Rome Masters 1,000 against the Dane Holger Rune, one of the promises of the round, whom he defeated in two sets, with doubles 7-5, after an intense exchange of blows for almost two hours.

After the storm, there was a calm in Rome. Also in the match, in which the great start of the Dane, always rebellious, whirlwind on the pitches, the calmness and coolness of the Russian, who, with more experience in big finals, managed to withstand the attacks of the Dane and scored at the perfect moment, gradually extinguished.

And that is not easy for Medvedev on clay, a surface that has been unattainable throughout history, but became his best ally in Rome. He defeated Zverev in the round of 16 and his friend Tsitsipas in the semi-finals and won the first final of his career on this surface. She didn’t let the Muscovite get away, who left Rome with a new record that can shake the orphaned Roland Garros without Rafa Nadal.

The Russian was probably the only tennis player satisfied with the constant rain and humidity in the Italian capital, as they allowed him to grow little by little on the clay surface on which he found himself at home in the final, showing a much higher level than that shown in other editions.

As expected, in an open match and without a favorite due to the weather conditions and the characteristics of both, the first set was very even. The Dane who had two balls entered better break which he lost in the fifth game and it took its toll at the end of this role because to see himself against the ropes, to see how everything he worked for in these two weeks could come to nothing, gave life to Medvedev who began to carburate and feel confident.

Then came the longest innings that undid Rune, accompanied by two impossible shots, close to the line, which made even the Dane laugh, who had resigned himself to the level of his rival, superior in the last section. So much so that with a score of 6-5 on the scoreboard, he got the first break in the match to win the first set.

But the joy of Medvedev, who already visualized his first trophy on clay, disappeared after another dominant start by Rune, who materialized break with which he breathed and used (2-0). The problem is that, as in the first set, after the storm came a calm. Once again, Medvedev, undaunted by Rune’s outburst, knew how to endure and skilfully manage a moment of weakness to become strong and shortly after that he retaliated, with three games in a row that brought him back to the lead (3-2).

Medvedev’s positive inertia made Rune shudder, who for a moment looked incapacitated, but who drew strength from where he didn’t have to pull his serve forward and celebrate with equal parts anger and relief the tie at three that still left him gave life So much so that returned three games to the Russian and took a 5-3 lead with a serve to end the set.

Joy quickly turned to worry and despair for the young promise. The Dane got dizzy at the second key moment of the match and allowed Medvedev to recover with a few unforced errors, a few long balls. And the Muscovite did not save. He did not allow Rune, in another attack of rebellion, to break him again and saved a break point at 6-5, which at least guaranteed him a tie-break.

You didn’t have to get to that point. Rune was already overcome by the situation, he was completely controlled by Medvedev who used two ‘break’ balls to kneel on the clay surface, celebrating for the first time on this surface, a late doctorate, but which comes at an invincible moment, to the door of the most important ‘Grand Slam’ on an earthen base.