Tennis: Sweet 16 as Medvedev downs Sinner in Rotterdam final
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Daniil Medvedev triumphed 5-7, 6-2, 6-2 over his Italian opponent.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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ROTTERDAM – Daniil Medvedev hoped his run to the title at Rotterdam and a return to the top 10 in world rankings can be the perfect launchpad for the rest of the season after a disappointing Australian Open in January.
Medvedev had slipped to No. 12 following his third-round defeat by Sebastian Korda at Melbourne Park, but the 27-year-old Russian rediscovered his rhythm at the Rotterdam Ahoy arena to beat Jannik Sinner 5-7, 6-2, 6-2 on Sunday for his first title of 2023.
“It’s great, because it’s still the beginning of the year,” Medvedev, now ranked eighth, said.
“It’s my third tournament of the year and already a title. Last year, I probably needed 12 tournaments or something like this. Beating great players, playing great here.
“In Adelaide, I was playing great but lost to Novak Djokovic. The Australian Open was really disappointing... Mentally, it’s tough to come back after going out of the top 10 and losing in the third round of a Slam you were hoping to win.
“I’m happy to find my form and I’m looking forward to the next tournament and hopefully I can continue this way.”
Montpellier champion Sinner looked on course for back-to-back titles after claiming a tight opening set, but Medvedev was not to be denied a 16th tour-level crown.
“It was a tough match mentally for both of us,” the former world No. 1 said. “Jannik was on top of me, especially in the first part of the first set. I managed to come back even though I was playing worse than him. Maybe that gave me some time to find my rhythm.”
While Medvedev needed three tournaments to win his first title of the season, Carlos Alcaraz did the trick with his first.
He enjoyed a dream return to action after a near four-month layoff due to abdominal and hamstring injuries as the world No. 2 claimed the Argentina Open title on Sunday by beating Cameron Norrie 6-3, 7-5 in the final.
The top seed won the US Open in September and became the youngest world No. 1 at 19 years old, but suffered an abdominal issue at the Paris Masters in November before pulling out of the Australian Open with a leg injury.
Having been leapfrogged by Melbourne winner Djokovic, Alcaraz began his quest to regain the top spot with his debut appearance at Buenos Aires, where he lost only one set in his four matches.
“It’s been a dream week after a long time with no competition. Coming to Buenos Aires and showing the level I showed is amazing and really special. It has been an emotional week too,” said the Spaniard, after his seventh ATP title and first since Flushing Meadows.
Alcaraz moved to within 590 points of Djokovic in the rankings and said he was happy with his level. “I felt very comfortable playing the final. I knew it was going to be difficult... This is the level that I have to play in finals,” he added.
Meanwhile, seventh-ranked Taylor Fritz defeated Serbia’s Miomir Kecmanovic 6-0, 5-7, 6-2 on Sunday to win the ATP Delray Beach Open, ensuring him a future world top-five spot. “This year was incredible after losing in the first and second rounds every single year I’ve been here,” he said.
Fritz, already at a world rankings career high, is projected to jump into the top five next Monday, becoming the first American in such a spot since former world No. 1 Andy Roddick. REUTERS, AFP
