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First of all, huge props to @DaniilMedwed for always believing. Even when he was two sets down, we all got the feeling he wasn't checking out. He's trained his mind into persevering with that stubborn, probing, eclectic styleâthe match with Nadal last year was proof. Even when...
...he was 1-5 down in the tiebreak, he came up with some absolute sorcery on the serve and volley, brought it back to 4-5, until Thiem hit that brave BHDTL. He was relentless and he didn't blinkâhe was just beaten by the better player on the day. Thiem was just as...
...relentless, but his shot making was the advantage he held over Medvedev, who is a bit more shy of hitting big. If you look back on the match, Thiem came up with a big shot on most of the big points and that's what got to Medvedev in the end. He recognized he was losing the...
...battle on the ground, and had to play outside his comfort zone, in hitting big and missingâwhich he did a lot in the tiebreaks (wild BHDTLs and netted FHs), leading people to believe he "choked." Not in the actual sense. Thiem forced his misses. We have this idea that...
...Medvedev is unbreakable under pressure and has an airtight game for the slim margin points, but that hasn't been proved yet against the best of the best (Nadal, Thiem, Federer, Djokovic at ATP Cup). *Thiem* was the unbreakable one, and Medvedev recognized that: "Yeah, today...
...he played like a real champion. As I say, that's actually the stress of Big 3. No matter which day you play them, it seems like they play the same level. Talking about myself or Dominic, we can have these bad days where we canâmaybe you can say I'm going to play to the...
...*backhand* of Dominic and get some chances. Well, not during this US Open or Aus Open. He's playing really some great tennis, backhand, forehand, slice. Everything is there. As I said, I tried to mix it up. I feel like I've done a lot of great things tonight, but just...
...didn't get it till the end." Thiem also said similar stuff: "Yeah, I mean, exactly happened what I was expecting, that he's one of very few guys who is super close to the Big 3 in terms of playing first of all on a very high level, then second of all holding this level for...
...however long the match takes. That's what he did." Thiem also talked about how his strategy was to not play at Medvedev's pace, because he knew he would miss: "Definitely that was my strategy. I think if I play like his rhythm, I have no chance because he just doesn't miss...
...when I play with his rhythm. So I tried to destroy that a little bit with lot of slices, with also high balls with a lot of spin. That was what was the plan." Medvedev wasn't disappointed in his tennis at all. As far as he was concerned, the level was high: "I'm always...
...disappointed to lose. But it's not like I felt like I got nervous or I lost my concentration. I was there. Let's not talk about first set, but second, third set I was there all the time. Mentally I was 100%. My concentration was there, my game plan was there. Just he...
...managed to be on top of me. Yeah, maybe I had a set point especially in the third set. Maybe I could have served better and make an ace. But, as I say again, this is tennis. So looking ahead and was a great match tonight."
If I had to separate from all the shots tonight....
If I had to separate from all the shots tonight....
...a deciding shot(s) which won him the match, I'd say it was Thiem's 2nd serve and his FH, which was incredible under pressure, especially at 5-5 in the 2nd, when he saved 5 breakpoints. A barrage of FHs that moved Medvedev around like no one else can. https://twitter.com/kela9123/status/1304592756866605057
And then it broke through the Russian's defences on the set point he converted in the 2nd set tiebreak. If I had to talk about a shot that didn't lose the match (as at the AO), I'd say Thiem's BH survived the Medvedev crosscourt test. And it wasn't just a slice festâhe mixed...
...it up with heavy, loopy ones that pushed Medvedev back and always made the Russian uncomfortable. And he brought out the big BHDTL drive on 2 big points, to surprise Medvedev. At the breakpoint down 3-5 in the 3rd and of course to bring up double matchpoint in the 3rd set...
...tiebreak. It was controlled, measured power. The reason for Thiem's ascent in the last year.
I don't think people can blame Medvedev here. Thiem's game is more developed, has more assets, and more weaponsâon all surfaces. It's that simple. Even if Medvedev is known for...
I don't think people can blame Medvedev here. Thiem's game is more developed, has more assets, and more weaponsâon all surfaces. It's that simple. Even if Medvedev is known for...
...avoiding errors on important points, it doesn't mean it is reproducible against the best players. Thiem showed that today. Medvedev was discombobulated by his power.
To paraphrase Mike Tyson, "Everyone has a plan until they get a Thiem forehand in their string bed."
To paraphrase Mike Tyson, "Everyone has a plan until they get a Thiem forehand in their string bed."
Oh, yes, lastly, people expected Medvedev to coast on serve todayâincluding me. Many thought it would be the difference in the match, allowing Medvedev more cheap points, and more breathers.
But I think we forgot Medvedev's variety on serve isn't great, and we forgot how...
But I think we forgot Medvedev's variety on serve isn't great, and we forgot how...
...Thiem's deep return position would handle that when needed (as Nadal's did last year). It was a match with two deep-standing returners, and I think it proved that Thiem is more adept at this type of returningâbecause he's the better shot maker. Medvedev, while precise and...
...consistent at this type of returning, doesn't push back the server as much as Thiem can. And even if Medvedev had decided to counter it with serve and volley, he'd have to come up with stuff like that filthy drop volley down 2-5 in the 3rd set tiebreak. They both need...
...better slice serves to counter deep returners (which is usually just them, Nadal, Wawrinka, and Monfils).
