Djokovic dominates Medvedev to win ninth Australian Open
MELBOURNE: Peerless world number one Novak Djokovic demolished Russia’s Daniil Medvedev in straight sets to win his ninth Australian Open title and extend his recordbreaking reign at Melbourne Park Sunday.
Djokovic overpowered the fourth seed 7-5, 6-2, 6-2 in front of 7,400 fans on Rod Laver Arena to end the Russian’s unbeaten run at 20 matches.
In winning a third straight Australian Open for the second time, the Serb claimed his 18th Grand Slam title to move within two of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal who have 20 each, while denying Medvedev his first.
Rarely has a player been so dominant at a single tournament with the Serb’s record-extending ninth title moving him past Federer’s eight at Wimbledon but still a long way behind the 13 Nadal has won at Roland Garros.
But it was a rollercoaster ride to get there, with Djokovic dropping five sets en route to the final and battling an abdominal injury that nearly forced him to pull out after the third round.
Despite admitting it was a gamble to keep playing, with a risk the injury could get worse and affect the rest of his season, the 33-year-old chose to continue and it paid off.
“Thanks to this court, the Rod Laver Arena, I love you each year more and more -the love affair keeps going,” said a relieved Djokovic, while paying tribute to Medvedev.
“Daniil, a class act, great guy and great person,” he said.
“I really like him off the court ... but on court he’s definitely one of the toughest players I have ever faced in my life.
“It’s a matter of time till you hold a Grand Slam.”
Medvedev, 25, is one of the smartest players on tour, keeping his opponents guessing with his flat and low groundstrokes, changing up the pace and angles, as he blends impenetrable defence with opportunistic offence.
But the Serb, who held a 4-3 head-to-head record against him but had lost three of the previous four, had his measure.
On Saturday, Japan’s Naomi Osaka dismissed Jennifer Brady in straight sets to win her fourth Grand Slam title and underline her new status as the dominant force in women’s tennis.
Osaka, 23, swept past America’s Brady 6-4, 6-3 in 77 minutes to win her second straight major crown and extend a 21-match winning streak that stretches back more than a year.
The world number three, who will rise to second in the rankings, becomes only the third player after Monica Seles and Roger Federer to win her first four major finals.
By clinching back-toback majors for the second time, the reigning US Open champion has won half of the Slams she has contested since her breakthrough 2018 US Open victory against Serena Williams.