Medvedev enters sixth final on trot
Tsitsipas rages after yet another defeat to the Russian at the Shanghai Masters
>> SHANGHAI: Daniil Medvedev reached a staggering sixth final in a row as he defeated fellow rising star Stefanos Tsitsipas at the Shanghai Masters yesterday.
The US Open finalist from Russia plays Alexander Zverev of Germany or Italy’s Matteo Berrettini in today’s decider as the next generation takes centre stage in China.
The 23-year-old Medvedev, who has lifted three titles in a breakthrough 2019, beat Greece’s Tsitsipas 7-6 (7/5), 7-5.
Medvedev has now seen off the 21-year-old — who defeated world No.1 Novak Djokovic on Friday — in all five of their matches.
“It’s something I could never have dreamed of,” the world No.4 said of his sixth final on the trot. “I want to keep the momentum going and hopefully make it to seven or eight.”
The history was with Medvedev but there was nothing in it as he and Tsitsipas entered the first-set tie break after 43 minutes of highquality tennis.
Seventh-ranked Tsitsipas blinked first, gifting set point when he shanked a forehand and then doing the same moments later to put the Russian a set up.
Medvedev broke the Greek — who repeatedly tried to gee up the crowd — in the third game of the second set.
The Russian served for the match at 5-4, only for Tsitsipas to dig in and break for 5-5, before Medvedev did likewise.
Tsitsipas smacked the ball out the court in a rage, before Medvedev sealed the semifinal win in the 12th game of the second set.
“Same vibes, same thing all over again,” said Tsitsipas of yet another defeat to the Russian.
“I don’t mean to be rude at all, but it’s just boring.
“It’s so boring that I hate myself for putting myself into that kind of situation where I have to play in his own terms and not in my terms.”
Meanwhile, Britain’s Heather Watson reached her first WTA final in over three years by overcoming Russian Veronika Kudermetova 6-1, 6-4 in the Tianjin Open yesterday.
Despite having played for over three hours to beat Magda Linette on Friday, Watson showed no in other semi-final.
British No.2 Watson will be bidding for her fourth WTA title and first since winning the Monterrey Open in March 2016.
“It’s my first time here in Tianjin, so it’s a great first experience for me,” the 27-year-old Watson said.
“I’m looking forward to playing the final and hopefully I can play as well as I managed today.”