Daniil Medvedev’s earliest reminiscences of enjoying grass-court tennis characteristic some all-too-familiar faces.

“My first time on grass was after I performed junior Wimbledon [in 2013],” Medvedev informed ATPTour.com final week. “There was a match beforehand in Roehampton, the place additionally they play qualies for Wimbledon. I truly misplaced to Nick Kyrgios [in the second round], and he received the match towards Sascha [Alexander] Zverev within the last.

“They have been actually superb at their age. I used to be nowhere shut as a result of they have been very younger after they went on the skilled Tour, into the Prime 100 and began enjoying the perfect on the earth. I keep in mind them enjoying the ultimate. I believe I truly even watched it, and it was identical to watching two legends, two junior legends, play.”

Medvedev could have taken slightly longer to hitch Kyrgios and Zverev among the many ATP Tour’s elite, however he now owns extra tour-level trophies than each his former junior rivals. The twentieth and most up-to-date of his titles, which moved him away from 19-time champion Zverev, got here on the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome in Might. It was Medvedev’s first ATP Tour crown on clay, heralded by many as a breakthrough for a participant who has by no means been shy about his heavy choice for laborious courts.

Given he now owns tour-level titles on laborious (18 of his 20 triumphs have come on the floor), grass (Mallorca, 2021) and clay (this yr’s Rome win), is the World No. 3 any nearer to contemplating himself an ‘all-court’ participant?

“I nonetheless imagine probably the most in myself on laborious courts as a result of that is nonetheless the place my greatest titles are,” stated Medvedev. “One Grand Slam, [five] Masters 1000s. I used to be by no means capable of obtain form of shut on different surfaces, [but] I do know that I can play nicely, lastly, even on clay. Successful a Masters 1000 [in Rome] was unbelievable. There are some superb clay-court gamers that by no means received a Masters, so it is simply unreal.

“I do know that I can play nicely on grass. It is simply there’s one thing that I am rather more assured about myself on laborious courts. However every time I play, regardless of the floor, I at all times attempt to win. I at all times attempt to be the perfect even when typically it does not work. And that is what I attempt yearly on the clay and grass, even when I like laborious courts extra.”

Medvedev arrives at Wimbledon with an 8-4 report on the grass-court main. The 27-year-old loved his finest run at SW19 on his most up-to-date look by reaching the fourth spherical in 2021. For somebody that’s used to competing for the most important prizes within the sport, that’s one thing he’s eager to enhance.

“For the second, Wimbledon is the Grand Slam the place I’ve my worst outcome, [reaching the] fourth spherical,” stated Medvedev. “Roland Garros is quarter-finals. So I for positive wish to change it. I really feel like I am able to enjoying nicely [at Wimbledon], however like at all times there are numerous robust opponents that do not wish to allow you to do that.

“I wish to present my finest there. [It is] unbelievable to be there each time you come. You step on the grounds, and you recognize even if you come within the participant foyer, straightaway you see grass throughout, and completely lower. You simply really feel, ‘Properly, right here I’m at Wimbledon and it is an incredible feeling’, and I shall be completely satisfied to expertise it this yr.”

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Medvedev isn’t the one large title in search of a primary deep run on the All England Membership. World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz reached the fourth spherical in 2022 and lifted an ATP 500 trophy at The Queen’s Membership final week in simply his third tour-level occasion on grass. Promising indicators for the Spaniard on a floor that Medvedev believes supplies a fancy problem.

“I really feel like grass is a extremely attention-grabbing floor, as a result of many instances I shall be somebody enjoying and in my thoughts, I shall be like, ‘This man can play nicely on grass usually. Huge serve, large forehand or one thing like this, is aware of the best way to slice’,” stated Medvedev. “And for no matter cause he does not prefer it and he [doesn’t do well on grass].

“Then there may be going to be another person [like Alcaraz], the place you say in your thoughts that whereas his sport isn’t actually fitted to grass — perhaps he does not go to the web that usually and stuff like this — after which he performs so nicely on grass, and he says it himself that it’s his finest and favorite floor. That is the place it is shocking.”

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It was Medvedev who ended Alcaraz’s maiden marketing campaign on grass when he eased to a 6-4, 6-1, 6-2 second-round triumph towards the then-18-year-old Spaniard at Wimbledon two years in the past. Alcaraz has since lifted 11 tour-level titles, together with a maiden main on the 2022 US Open, and risen to grow to be the youngest No. 1 within the historical past of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

“For my part, the best way Carlos performs on each floor, he can win perhaps 5 Wimbledons, however you by no means know,” stated Medvedev. “It is a robust floor to play on. Once we performed [in 2021], he was not the identical participant, so I managed to get the perfect of this match. Final yr I believe he improved [on grass] already, performed this four-setter towards [Jannik] Sinner [in the fourth round]. I keep in mind it was an incredible match.

“So I believe his potential is actually excessive on any floor, however grass is a tricky floor for a lot of gamers. Let’s examine how he handles this job.”

from Tennis – ATP World Tour https://ift.tt/MzXKB7o