Daniil Medvedev wins his 4th title of 2023

BET À DAY

Daniil Medvedev (5th in the world) won the Masters 1000 in Miami for the first time, his fourth title of the year in five consecutive finals, beating 7-5, 6-3 Jannik Sinner (11th ), Sunday. 

The 27-year-old Russian, who also won in Rotterdam, Doha and Dubai in February, succeeds Carlos Alcaraz, who inflicted two weeks earlier at Indian Wells his only loss in 25 games.

The Spaniard, who failed to succeed in the “Sunshine Double”, eliminated in the semi-finals by the Italian, will lose his place as world No. 1 on Monday, in favor of Novak Djokovic, absent in Florida, as in California, because not vaccinated against COVID-19.

Medvedev won his fifth Masters 1000 in Miami in eight finals played, his 19th trophy overall.

Against the Italian, he had a strong psychological advantage of five wins in as many confrontations. But it was more on the physical level that the sixth was played, because Sinner did not appear on his plate, under a strong humid heat, characteristic of Florida conditions, 36 hours after his great efforts, to bend Alcaraz.

“I imagine it must have been hard to recover after that game,” admitted Medvedev when addressing him on the court afterwards.

“I wasn't in my best shape today when I got up, I felt a little sick,” added the Italian.

At the change of service at 4-3, he had to call the doctor, who gave him pills, which allowed him to continue to fight, but not by recovering full possession of his means.

< p>Dazzling shape

He had however broken the first to lead 3-2, on his fifth opportunity, taking advantage of three double faults from Medvedev, however solid in the service until then. But the latter returned the favor immediately, with his defense to outwit any opponent, which happened when Sinner faulted the former on a long rally. And the Russian was realistic in the twelfth game, to pocket the first set, when his rival experienced another slump at the worst time.

He took the lead a little more in the second set, even if, with courage, Sinner managed to break at 2-0. A short respite, because Medvedev immediately gave him a pressure kick to break away again (3-1).

He then did not flinch to maintain this advantage until the end, winning in 1h34.

His joy was contained, not failing to address a few words clearly full of empathy for his young adversary, masking his frustration at not having been able to fight on equal terms and who fails on the last step for the second time. In 2021, he gave in against the Pole Hubert Hurkacz.

He will have to wait before finally getting the better of Medvedev, who also deprived him of the title in Rotterdam two months earlier.

The Russian, for his part, maintains a dazzling form, reminiscent of that glimpsed during his triumph at the United States Open in 2021.