By Tony Fairbairn
- Novak Djokovic [2] v Daniil Medvedev [3]
- H2H: Djokovic leads 9-5
NEW YORK, USA – Novak Djokovic aims for US Open revenge from two years ago when he takes on Daniil Medvedev in the final of the last Grand Slam of the season.
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Novak Djokovic [2] v Daniil Medvedev [3] | H2H & Match Fundamentals
Novak Djokovic’s historic bid for a 24th Grand Slam title continues after another ruthless win over the current crop of players with Ben Shelton being the latest victim. The Serb will already be world number one on Monday but would love nothing more than to win his third Grand Slam title of the season. Standing in Djokovic’s way of more Grand Slam glory is the last person to beat Djokovic at the US Open in the form of Daniil Medvedev as the 2021 champion produced a statement win over defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in order to reach the final.
| Novak Djokovic [2] v Daniil Medvedev [3] | H2H: Djokovic leads 9-5 |
| US Open 2023 | New York, USA |
| Hard (O) | Prize Money: $1,500,000/$3,000,000 |
| Second on Arthur Ashe Stadium, not before 4pm (9pm BST) | Sky/Now TV Subscription Required |
Medvedev has had the tougher draw and that is reflective in the amount of sets he has lost although Djokovic has had some scare of his own to deal with en route to Sunday’s showpiece final.
Novak Djokovic [2] route to the final
- R1: Alexandre Muller 6-0 6-2 6-3
- R2: Bernabe Zapata Miralles 6-4 6-1 6-1
- R3: Laslo Djere [32] 4-6 4-6 6-1 6-1 6-3
- R4: Borna Gojo [Q] 6-2 7-5 6-4
- QF: Taylor Fritz [9] 6-1 6-4 6-4
- SF: Ben Shelton 6-3 6-2 7-6(4)
Daniil Medvedev [3] route to the final
- R1: Attila Balazs [PR] 6-1 6-1 6-0
- R2: Christopher O’Connell 6-2 6-2 6-7(6) 6-2
- R3: Sebastian Baez 6-2 6-2 7-6(6)
- R4: Alex De Minaur [13] 2-6 6-4 6-1 6-2
- QF: Andrey Rublev [8] 6-4 6-3 6-4
- SF: Carlos Alcaraz [1] 7-6(3) 6-1 3-6 6-3
Tale of the Tape – Key Stats (2023)
| H2H: | Novak Djokovic (WR 2) | Daniil Medvedev (WR 3) |
| Tournament Previous Best | Champion (2011, 2016, 2018) | Champion (2021) |
| 1st Serve % | 64.6 | 63.9 |
| Service Games Won % | 88.1 | 84.6 |
| Break Points Saved % | 69.6 | 66.2 |
| 2nd Serve Return Points Won % | 54.4 | 54.8 |
| Break Points Converted % | 43.5 | 47.8 |
Djokovic has been the more consistent player on serve but Medvedev’s efficiency on break points makes this a fascinating match-up heading into the final.
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Playing Styles and Prediction
It has been another flawless Grand Slam tournament from Djokovic who is now one win away from a 24th Grand Slam title. The Serb’s resolve and tactical quality has seen him outsmart his opponents as he now looks for more history in New York and a first US Open title for five years.
Speaking after his win over Shelton, Djokovic has learned from past Grand Slam finals and is trying not to reflect on the history that is at stake in the final.
“Every time in a Grand Slam final it’s another shot for history; I’m aware of it, and of course I’m very proud of it,” Djokovic explained to the ATP website.
“But I don’t have much time nor do I allow myself to reflect on these things or think about the history too much, because when I did that in the past, like, ’21 finals here, I was maybe overwhelmed with the occasion and the opportunity and I underperformed. So I don’t want this to happen again, and I’ll try to, you know, just focus on what needs to be done and tactically prepare myself for that match.
“I’m obviously over the moon with the results so far on Grand Slams. Playing in all four finals of all four slams in a season is amazing. It’s the highest achievement I can think about when I start the season.
“There is another match left, so of course the conversation will be probably even better if I win a title in two days. But definitely whatever happens, I’m extremely proud and content with what I have achieved this year in Grand Slams.”
In the final Djokovic will take on the last person to have beaten him in New York in Medvedev, who reminded the world of how dangerous he can be with a four set victory over Alcaraz.Now Medvedev will look to prove why he is the best hard court player on the tour as he looks to win a second US Open title.
Ahead of the final Medvedev spoke about what he has to do to beat Djokovic and reflected on the potential success of this tournament.
“Novak is going to be his best version on Sunday, and I have to be the best-ever version of myself if I want to try to beat him,” Medvedev told the ATP website.
“Novak, when he loses, he’s never the same after. So he’s different. It’s just a different mentality. That’s why he has 23 Grand Slams, [39 ATP] Masters 1000s, weeks at No. 1. So I have to use it knowing that he’s going to be 10 times better than he was that day. And I have to be, if I want to still beat him, 10 times better than I was that day. That’s what I’m going to try to do.
“I guess for the confidence and self-esteem, it’s very important. At the same time that’s the thing about tennis. It’s great that I won this match, but if I lose on Sunday, the tournament, it’s a good tournament, but I’m going to be disappointed. That’s how tennis is.
“It was a great win, it’s great for the confidence. I have hopefully [many] years of career ahead. And to know I’m capable of doing it on the big stage, every time you do it one more time brings more confidence. You know you can do it again. You want to do it again. You want to feel this. And at the same time, what is the most important is to kind of use it, but forget about it and go for the next one.”
Djokovic will look to maintain his consistency on serve as he will rely on the forehand to do the most damage to Medvedev’s defensive shots. Medvedev will look to use the angles to be proactive in rallies as he looks to be the aggressor while keeping control of the point on his backhand.
This will be a tactical and entertaining battle with so much on the line for both players between two of the best players on hard courts this season. It’s a 50-50 match-up but Medvedev has the slight advantage in a match that is expected to go the distance.
Prediction: Medvedev in five sets.
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