Daniil Medvedev in the Final of the 2020 Nitto ATP Finals, London, 2020
Daniil Medvedev in the Final of the 2020 Nitto ATP Finals, London, 2020 | (Photo by GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images)

Tennis | Nitto ATP Finals 2020 | Versatile Medvedev tops Thiem to claim title

  • Daniil Medvedev [4] def. Dominic Thiem [3] 4-6, 7-6(2) 6-4
  • Medvedev sweeps the world top three en route to the final
LONDON, UK – Daniil Medvedev beat Dominic Thiem to provide a Russian bookend to the London editions of the Nitto ATP Finals.

 

[table “ADPDAll” not found /]

 

Embed from Getty Images

Even though last year saw a final between two of the chasing pack, the final between Daniil Medvedev and Dominic Thiem really does feel like a changing of the guard. Between them they have been to five Slam finals and Thiem has that sole Slam win, but it was the manner of that win and the fightback from Medvedev that set this final up to be a thriller.

From the start it was Medvedev exerting the pressure, forcing Thiem to save two break points before even the first changeover, but it would be Thiem to get the first break on his first opportunity.

He held on to that advantage to seal the first set. The second set had much more aggression from Thiem who initially was the one to make all the running for break point chances, but Medvedev has shown in the past year that his on-court problem solving is second to none.

Although he could not convert on his own chance to gain the upper hand, he hung tight to force a very one-sided tie-break as Thiem gave vent to his frustrations, with the match now level.

Even though Medvedev finished the later of the pair, it looked as though Thiem was feeling some fatigue from his win over World No. 1 Novak Djokovic, and with Medvedev disrupting his rhythm, Thiem was having to work hard, saving three break points before the first changeover.

Medvedev’s perseverance paid off after another gruelling game for Thiem where ultimately, he gave up the break. Fighting to the last point, Daniil Medvedev ended Thiem’s hopes as the Russian claimed the title.

Embed from Getty Images

Two Slam finals and a Slam title to his name, surely Thiem will lift the season-ending title at some stage and once more the gaze shifts to a tennis world without the Big Three.

Thiem said: “We still have many years ahead of us. We proved that we can play with the legends, that we can also beat them, that we can also win the biggest tournaments.

“I think next few years the Big 3 still will play for every big title, but I guess there’s still gonna be a time when those guys retire, I don’t know, in three, four, five years. And then I guess we will be the favourites for all the big titles. I think for tennis it’s some exciting times are coming ahead.”

It was the longest final in the history of the event, and it felt fitting that if the first one was won by a Russian (Nikolay Davydenko), the final event in London was lifted by Medvedev, beating the top three players in the world to do it.

Medvedev said, at the trophy presentation: “I always said before this tournament that it would be an amazing story if, here in London, where the tournament was for 11 years, that the first champion would be Russian and the last champion would be Russian, too. A lot of thanks to Nikolay Davydenko for being an inspiration for many kids [like] me [by] winning here. I hope to continue doing his job.”

 

Browse the Britwatch Sports Amazon Page for our latest Tennis equipment recommendations