Daniil Medvedev appears to have returned to his best form as he ended Novak Djokovic’s undefeated 15-0 start to the season with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over the world number one on Friday.
After briefly dropping outside the top 10 for the first time since July 2019, Medvedev has stormed back into that elite ranking bracket, winning his last 13 matches – within an 18-day period – to set up an all-Russian Dubai final against defending champion Andrey Rublev.
Medvedev had lost his last four meetings with Djokovic, who was on a 20-match win streak stretching back to last year’s ATP Finals, coming into the contest.
The 27-year-old is looking to win a third title in as many weeks, having picked up trophies in Rotterdam and Doha in the build-up to Dubai.
“Every time I beat Novak is an amazing feeling. He’s probably the greatest tennis player of all time,” said Medvedev. “Every time it gives you an extra boost of confidence, like, ‘Wow, I was able to beat Novak, I can for sure beat anybody’.”
In front of a full house in Dubai, Medvedev opened up a double-break lead and despite Djokovic slowing him down by getting one of the breaks back, the world number seven successfully served out the 39-minute set on his second attempt.
Djokovic repeatedly overhit his forehand, which helped Medvedev claim an early break in the second set.
Novak Djokovic VS Medvedev Match Highlights
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