US Open: Ice-cool Medvedev too hot for Djokovic to handle as Grand Slam dream ends

In
stifling
temperatures
inside
Arthur
Ashe
Stadium
on
Sunday
(September
12),
the
world
number
one
saw
his
calendar
Grand
Slam
hopes
ended
by
a
man
often
known
for
losing
his
cool.

Daniil
Medvedev
is
among
the
most
mercurial
players
on
the
ATP
Tour.
To
watch
Medvedev
outwit
his
opponents
when
he
is
focused
is
one
of
the
great
joys
of
the
modern
game.
When
things
go
against
him,
though,
his
temper
and
his
performance
can
unravel
in
a
hurry.

US
Open
2021:
Full
List
of
Award
Winners,
Results,
Prize
Money,
Records
and
Statistics

To
Djokovic’s
misfortune,
in
one
of
the
biggest
matches
of
his
remarkable
career,
he
came
up
against
an
inspired
Medvedev
enjoying
obvious
clarity
of
thought
in
a
6-4
6-4
6-4
win
in
the
US
Open
final
that
means
tennis’
‘big
three’ remain
locked
on
20
grand
slam
titles
apiece.

Medvedev
is
no
stranger
to
heroics
at
tennis’ largest
stadium.
Two
years
ago
he
enjoyed
a
rollercoaster
journey
in
New
York.
Seeing
red
after
being
given
a
code
violation
for
snatching
a
towel
from
a
ballboy,
Medvedev
was
mercilessly
booed
in
a
third-round
match
with
Feliciano
Lopez
and
openly
goaded
the
fans
thereafter
in
his
on-court
interview.

The
booing
continued
in
the
subsequent
round,
but
Medvedev’s
story
that
year
was
one
of
redemption,
which
ended
with
him
receiving
great
credit
for
a
remarkable
near-comeback
in
a
five-set
epic
final
with
Rafael
Nadal.

Fast
forward
to
a
clash
with
another
of
the
players
firmly
in
the
conversation
for
the
best
of
all
time
and
Medvedev
sustained
the
levels
he
produced
for
two
and
a
half
sets
against
Nadal
for
three
glorious
sets
as
he
ruthlessly
took
possession
of
a
day
that
was
supposed
to
belong
to
Djokovic.

Prior
to
the
final,
Djokovic
had
dropped
the
opening
set
in
four
of
his
previous
matches
at
Flushing
Meadows,
winning
three
times
in
four
sets
and
once
in
five.

As
such,
there
was
little
reason
not
to
expect
a
Djokovic
comeback
when
Medvedev
forged
ahead
in
the
showpiece.

However,
in
Medvedev,
Djokovic
found
a
foe
completely
unwilling
to
indulge
his
hopes
of
another
recovery
effort.

Daniil
Medvedev
just
won
the

#USOpen
on
his
wedding
anniversary.

Good
thing,
because
he
didn’t
have
a
present
ready
????

pic.twitter.com/eUXVYEyzup

—
US
Open
Tennis
(@usopen)

September
12,
2021

Coach
Gilles
Cervara
labelled
Medvedev
a
“genius” before
the
2019
final
and,
when
he
plays
as
he
did
in
clinching
his
first
major
title,
it
is
tough
to
argue
with
that
assessment.

As
the
elasticity
of
his
movement
enabled
Medvedev
to
defend
with
an
ease
that
belied
the
pressure
of
the
occasion,
Djokovic
was
simply
unable
to
find
a
way
through
in
the
second
set,
which
was
decided
with
the
artistry
of
the
Russian’s
drop
shot.

Djokovic
could
only
hit
into
the
tramlines
having
scurried
in
a
desperate
effort
to
meet
such
a
shot,
and
that
sense
of
desperation
was
evident
when
uncharacteristically
poor
play
at
the
net
from
the
Serbian
gave
Medvedev
command
in
the
third.

A
pair
of
double
faults
played
a
role
in
Medvedev
initially
failing
to
serve
out
the
match,
the
ice-cool
focus
escaping
him
for
a
brief
moment,
but
there
was
to
be
no
repeat
when
his
second
opportunity
came
as
he
finally
clinched
a
maiden
major
on
his
third
wedding
anniversary.

US
Open
2021:
Medvedev
labels
Djokovic
‘greatest
tennis
player
in
history’
after
conquering
20-time
slam
champ

So
history
denied.
Not
because
of
the
heat,
but
because
of
a
man
keeping
his
cool
in
the
face
of
the
greatest
challenge
in
the
men’s
game
and
harnessing
the
genius
that
is
now
recognised
by
many
more
than
just
his
coach.
Extremely
gracious
in
defeat,
a
potentially
momentous
day
for
Djokovic
is
now
one
he
will
want
to
forget.
Instead,
Medvedev
and
his
wife
have
an
anniversary
to
remember.