Medvedev gets early first serve in against Novak
AFTER giving Stefanos Tsitsipas a semi-final bruising yesterday, Daniil Medvedev fired a mental barb at Novak Djokovic ahead of their Australian Open decider, declaring the pressure was all on the Serbian champion's shoulders.
The relentless Russian will contest his first final at Melbourne Park tomorrow and look to claim his maiden Grand Slam title after beating Tsitsipas 6-4 6-2 7-5 at a floodlit Rod Laver Arena yesterday.
Djokovic will bid for a record-extending ninth Australian Open title and 18th Grand Slam crown in total to draw closer to Roger Federer's and Rafa Nadal's all-time record of 20.
Yet Medvedev has now won 20 successive matches and 12 against top-10 opponents, including beating Djokovic on the way to winning the ATP Finals.
"First of all, I like that I don't have a lot of pressure because he never lost in eight times he was here in the finals," Medvedev said.
"It's he who has all the pressure, you know, getting to Roger, Rafa and the Grand Slams (record).
"So I just hope that I'm going to get out there, show my best tennis.
"As we see, I can win (against) some big names if I play good. That's the main part. (Djokovic) has, for sure, more experience but more things to lose as well."
Before Medvedev's semi-final, Djokovic told Eurosport "the new generation" of players had a lot of work to do and he would not "hand it over" to them.
Medvedev responded: "When Novak says he's not going to hand anything to somebody, I believe him.
"So I know that to beat him you need to just show your best tennis."
Djokovic also praised Medvedev as the "man to beat" in Melbourne and for two brilliant sets, the Russian lived up to the billing.
He was a break up in the third before a wobble on serve brought Tsitsipas and an army of Greek fans back into the game.
Yet he broke Tsitsipas again and served out the match with authority.
The 25-year-old Muscovite famously riled the crowd at the 2019 US Open before winning them over in a brave five-set loss to Nadal in the final.
However, he admitted he was thrown by the baying crowd yesterday after playing in empty stadiums for matches during the fiveday lockdown in Melbourne.
"I got a little bit tight, not because of the score at all but more because of the crowd... When you're used to playing with a crowd, it's one thing," said Medvedev.
"Here it did get into my head. I'm happy that I managed to change my focus and change the momentum at the end of the third set."
Meanwhile, Tsitsipas said he would not be surprised if Medvedev beat Djokovic to win the Australian Open title and that victory for the Russian would be good for men's tennis.
The 'Big Three' of the men's game - Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal and Djokovic -- have shared 57 Grand Slam titles between them and Dominic Thiem's US Open triumph last year was the first time anyone outside the triumvirate had won a major since Stan Wawrinka won in New York in 2016.
World number four Medvedev had a shot at breaking that stranglehold in the US Open final in 2019 against Nadal but went down in five sets.
"I wouldn't be surprised to see Daniil win the tournament," Tsitsipas, ranked sixth in the world, told reporters after his defeat to Medvedev.
"But, you know, it's a strange scenario. I played Rafa here two years ago. I found his performance against me that day phenomenal. I was 100% sure he was going to win the tournament. And I ended up being wrong.
"Who knows? I don't know. Like, Djokovic is playing well too. Look, I'm not a betting website. I don't know what to say. Might be Medvedev, would be good for him, good for tennis.“
ZAAHIER ADAMS
DOLPHINS: 155/8 (Zondo 59, Mahima 4/18) CAPE COBRAS: 141/7 (Jonker 41*, De Zorzi 39, Verreynne 29, Maharaj 4/15)
THE playing of spin seems in all likelihood to remain a perpetual struggle for South African batsmen.
Regardless of whether the batsmen are wearing Proteas green, Titans sky blue, Knights navy, Dolphins black or Cape Cobras royal blue, the struggles are all the same.
That much was evident after the opening day of the CSA T20 Challenge at Kingsmead yesterday.
In the opening game Tabraiz Shamsi spun the Titans to victory over the Knights before his Proteas spinning partner Keshav Maharaj (4/15) bettered young Cobras left-armer Siyabonga Mahima's 4/18, which included a last over hat-trick, to drive the Dolphins to a 14-run victory over the Cobras in the afternoon.
They were not the only spinners that had the batsmen guessing all day. Prenelan Subrayen (1/19) and Senuran Muthusamy (1/21) also achieved success for the Dolphins to peg back a promising Cobras run chase, while the visitors' off-spinner Imran Manack delivered a tidy spell of four overs for just 24 runs.
In fact, although George Linde was the most expensive spinner of the day conceding 40 runs from his four overs.
The Dolphins had just lost David Miller and Muthusamy in a short space of time when new batsman Khaya Zondo swept across the line to Linde before he had even opened his account.
The ball sailed high into the air where Jason Smith made the ground at mid-wicket, but could not settle himself to take the chance.
It was the break that Zondo – and the Dolphins – required as the stylish right-hander broke the shackles with a free-flowing innings that ultimately proved the difference between the two teams.
Zondo was intent to attack from the outset and was eager to express himself – even astonishingly adopting a left-handed stance to Mahima during one over.
The results weren't always pretty, but it was effective with Zondo stroking 59 off 39 balls to lift the Dolphins to 155/8.
It was an impressive effort after the home team were earlier placed at a slippery 106/5 with five overs remaining. They were also aided by the Cobras' generosity – the visitors delivered 19 wides that ballooned the extras’ tally to a whopping 25.
This proved fatal for the Cobras with the run chase falling short by just 14 runs, despite solid contributions from Jonker (41*), De Zorzi (39), and Verreynne (29).