Australian Open: Novak Djokovic downs frail Daniil Medvedev for record-extending ninth Melbourne title
Novak Djokovic secured a record-extending ninth Australian Open crown on Sunday with a straight-sets win against Daniil Medvedev.
World No 1 Djokovic remains unbeaten in finals at the year’s first Grand Slam, and even the threat of Medvedev’s form – with 20 consecutive tour-level wins coming into Sunday’s showpiece match – was not enough to trouble the defending champion in Melbourne.
Djokovic was solid and clinical from the baseline as he eased to a 7-5 6-2 6-2 victory, the result bringing him a third consecutive trophy in Melbourne and an 18th Grand Slam title in total, moving him to within two of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal at the top of the men’s all-time standings.
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This was one of the more remarkable of those 18, with Djokovic looking down and out after sustaining an abdominal injury in the third round against Taylor Fritz and battling through matches against Milos Raonic and Alexander Zverev.
He declared himself back in peak condition after beating Aslan Karatsev in straight sets in the semi-finals, which proved to be bad news for Medvedev.
The Russian’s strengths are very similar to those of Djokovic, with the 25-year-old a relentless hitter from the baseline, particularly on the backhand side, and a tremendous athlete for his 6ft 6in frame.
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He had won three of his last four matches against Djokovic, including in straight sets at the ATP Finals in London in November, but he quickly discovered the Serbian in Melbourne is a different animal.
Djokovic set his stall out by racing to a 3-0 lead, only for Medvedev to fight back and level.
The world No 1’s serve has been particularly impressive this tournament, though, arguably keeping him in it when he was struggling physically, and he held comfortably from there before breaking to take the first set.
Tactically it was a very smart performance from the top seed, who was making Medvedev play from the centre of the court, particularly off his forehand, and drawing the errors he was looking for.
Djokovic’s consistent excellence has the effect of making the court seem smaller and smaller for his opponent, and Medvedev started to over press, aiming closer to the lines and missing.
A break of serve to start the second set was swiftly snuffed out by a run of four games in a row for Djokovic, and even smashing a racket did nothing to alleviate Medvedev’s frustration.
Another break of serve handed Djokovic the second set, and the match was all but over when Medvedev, missing only the steam coming out of his ears, dumped a volley into the net to trail 2-0 in the third.
Medvedev had fought back from two sets down to push Nadal to a fifth set in his previous Slam final at the US Open in 2019, but that was never on the cards here and Djokovic took his first match point with an overhead.
With his ninth title, the 33-year-old becomes only the second man after Nadal in Paris to win a Slam more than eight times.
Djokovic’s success also continues the unprecedented dominance of himself, Federer and Nadal, who have now won 15 of the last 16 Slam titles despite all being well into their 30s.
After picking up the runners-up plate, Medvedev said: “Never easy to speak when you’ve just lost a final of a grand Slam but I’m going to try to do my best, better than on the court hopefully.
“First of all congrats to Novak and your team. Nine grand Slams in Australia is amazing and probably it’s not your last one. I have no words to say.
“Just to tell you a small story, first I practised with Novak when I was 500 or 600 in the world in Monaco. He was already No 1, and I thought, ‘Okay, he’s not going to speak to me or something,’ because the guy was a god for me.
“Because I was shy I didn’t speak, he was asking me questions, talking to me like a friend and you’ve never changed. You are a great sport, great person.”
Djokovic held aloft the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup and then said: “I would like to return nice words to Daniil. First of all, class act, you are a great guy, great person, you show again why.
“We used to spend more time together in Monaco. You’re not calling me any more last few years. But it’s nice to see you’re thinking good things about me. I really like Daniil as a person off the court.
“On the court he’s definitely one of the toughest players that I ever faced in my life. It’s a matter of time when you’re going to hold a Grand Slam, that’s for sure. If you don’t mind waiting a few more years.”
PA
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