TURIN: Daniil Medvedev might have to delay his holiday plans a while longer after rediscovering his spark to beat Australia’s Alex de Minaur in straight sets here at the ATP Finals on Tuesday.

The Russian world number four said he was ready to pack his bags after losing his opening group match to American Taylor Fritz on Sunday, but the 2020 champion produced a serving masterclass to overpower De Minaur 6-2, 6-4.

Defeat for debutant De Minaur means he has no realistic chance of reaching the semi-finals but for Medvedev he will enter his last match against top seed Jannik Sinner with hope.

Medvedev’s tennis and attitude on Tuesday was in stark contrast to Sunday when he looked distracted and disinterested and earned a penalty point for smashing a courtside microphone.

This time he was fully focussed on the job in hand as he made only 10 unforced errors and conceded only nine points on his serve as he extended his record over De Minaur to 7-3.

“The last match I felt too tired mentally to fight the way I usually do,” Medvedev said in a courtside interview.

“So during the match when it doesn’t go your way you get frustrated and stuff like that. So I went in to this match thinking if I lose I go home Thursday for sure, good feeling, if I win I still have the chance, also a good feeling.

“I just wanted to hit some shots and it worked well.”

ZVEREV ROUTS RUBLEV

On Monday night, Alexander Zverev opened his campaign at the ATP Finals by dispatching Andrey Rublev 6-4, 6-4 in their round-robin opener.

In the afternoon match, Casper Ruud romped through the opening set before fighting back from 5-2 behind in the second to beat an out-sorts Carlos Alcaraz 6-1, 7-5.

Germany’s Zverev had last faced Russian Rublev at the same stage of the finals in 2023 and won by the same score.

Zverev, a two-time winner of this event in 2018 and 2021, moved to second in the John Newcombe group, behind Norway’s Ruud.

The 27-year-old Zverev, the recent winner of the Paris Masters 1000, has climbed back to No.2 in the world this season. After an injury-hit 2022 season he had briefly dropped out of the top 25 in 2023.

“I was never sure I was going to get back to this level,” Zverev said on the court in Turin. “Second year in a row for me here. I still want to get better. I still want to improve on a few things. We’ll see how next year goes.”

Rublev held to love in his first three service games. He won a 13th straight point on serve to open the crucial seventh game, but Zverev then won the next four to break to 15.

Zverev did not allow a break point against his serve all match and converted immediately both times he had the chance.

“I thought it was a very solid match from my end,” said Zverev. “Andrey is an incredible player, but everyone who plays here is an unbelievable player.

“Against anyone here, you have to play your best to have a chance, you have to be solid, mentally strong. I feel like I did that today, I felt like I used my chances quite well and I’m obviously happy with this win.”

Published in Dawn, November 13th, 2024