Daniil Medvedev kicked off the 2023 Nitto ATP Finals with a strong performance, defeating his friend and compatriot Andrey Rublev in straight sets in Turin. Rublev, who is the godfather of Medvedev’s daughter Alisa, faced his third consecutive loss to Medvedev this year.
Prior to their match, Rublev had provided a comparative assessment in a lighthearted manner about the challenges of facing both Daniil Medvedev and Carlos Alcaraz. His analogy was akin to attaining “slow death” in different ways while facing his higher-ranked adversaries.
Rublev said, “Not if Alcaraz kills you first and sometimes you don’t notice. With Medvedev, he’s killing you slowly. Taking his time. Enjoying the moment and you feel like you are dying, little by little.” After his match with Rublev, when Medvedev was asked to share his thoughts on Rublev’s unusual remarks, he responded by acknowledging the fact that he didn’t have any other strategies in place.
“You feel like you are dying little by little” 🤣@AndreyRublev97 #NittoATPFinals pic.twitter.com/VgtxdbZMfJ
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) November 13, 2023
Medvedev stated, “Rublev plays such a style where he leaves me no choice. Because I don’t have the power of Alcaraz or maybe even Tsitsipas. Like on my forehand, so it’s a little bit of different style, where I try to you know go left and right, we are both good at this game, against him, it’s the only chance I have. You saw today, it’s run, run, run.”
“I don’t have the power of Alcaraz” 💪@DaniilMedwed responds to Rublev’s “killing you slowly” comment 🤣#NittoATPFinals https://t.co/fMEvr6D7OS pic.twitter.com/3Rie2Q7Qq7
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) November 13, 2023
Looking ahead, Rublev, placed in the Red Group alongside Medvedev and Alcaraz, will have the opportunity to test his unique perspective further when he faces Alcaraz during his next round-robin match after a day’s rest.
Can Andrey Rublev rebound from Medvedev’s loss against world no. 2, Alcaraz?
In their match, Daniil Medvedev dominated the court proceedings, securing a commendable 6-4, 6-2 victory over fellow Russian Andrey Rublev. The match was a showcase of intense baseline rallies and powerful serving from Medvedev, both running their opponents from side to side. The first set witnessed both players displaying exceptional skills and resilience with a seemingly balanced 6-4 scoreline
As the second set commenced, Medvedev’s dominance continued, and Rublev’s spirits somehow dwindled in the face of Medvedev’s relentless play. Unable to break the stranglehold of world no. 3, Rublev’s morale seemed to be shattered; at one point, he even slipped after a valiant rally and sat on the ground helplessly. The match concluded with Medvedev winning the second set 6-2 convincingly.
Carlos Alcaraz and Andrey Rublev getting 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 for the ATP Finals 🏆 pic.twitter.com/d8Qrsnxe6S
— Eurosport (@eurosport) November 9, 2023
While world No. 5 Rublev’s prophecy about Medvedev seemed to be true, as evident from his match, the focus now shifts to his clash with the world’s second-ranked player, Carlos Alcaraz. This will be their first meeting on the ATP Tour. While Rublev has been in prime form at the end of the season, the same can’t be said about Alcaraz, who has now lost 3 consecutive matches in a row, after his loss to Zverev in his opening round.
Fans can look forward to an exciting clash between Alcaraz and Rublev. Alcaraz would like to get back to his winning ways, while Rublev aims to bounce back from his initial loss in Turin. It’s predicted to be a thrilling three-set encounter.