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Daniil Medvedev rewarded himself for reaching the Australian Open final with a handful of days off, then got back to work as he envisioned a major breakthrough at the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam .
The Russian is the seed of the first ATP 500 event of the season. He leads a stacked field that includes four of the circuit’s top 10, including Stefanos Tsitsipas and compatriot Andrey Rublev, two players he beat en route to the final in Melbourne.
Medvedev faces one of Rotterdam’s toughest terrains in recent memory in his quest to become the new world No.2 in the FedEx ATP rankings. If the Russian reaches the final, he will become the first player outside the Big Four – Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray – to hold a second place since Lleyton Hewitt was world No.2 in 2005.
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“The draw is really strong. I think for [an ATP] Event 500 is one of the strongest draws I have possibly ever seen, ”Medvedev said at a press conference ahead of the tournament. “We have [four] Top 10 guys, which is amazing. ”
It’s an added challenge for a player who doesn’t mind doing things the hard way. Medvedev had to beat the top three players in the world to win the 2020 Nitto ATP Final, and he beat 12 of the top 10 opponents in his 20-game winning streak that ended in Melbourne. During this time, Medvedev won his third Masters 1000 crown at the Rolex Paris Masters, the biggest title of his career in London, helped Russia to their first ATP Cup and reached their second Grand Slam final at Melbourne Park. .
“There is a certain confidence when you win tournaments. I won three in a row, one of them [the ATP Cup] was a team competition, of course, ”he said. “When you have confidence in yourself, in tight times, you feel like you can always make the winners or put the ball back on the pitch when you need to and make your opponent miss.”
Medvedev admitted that the thought of potentially ending the week with a career-high FedEx ATP ranking comes with added pressure, but he is determined to play one game at a time as he seeks his first. trophy in Rotterdam.
“It’s normal in a tennis career to have some pressure,” said Medvedev. “I would say the most pressure would start around [the] quarterfinals or semi-finals. In the first or second round, he is still a little far from looking to the future. I’m getting ready for my first round and I don’t think about it at all, but for sure when it gets closer it will stay on my mind.
Medvedev will face Dusan Lajovic in the first round as the Russian plays his first game since the Australian Open final. He previously reached the semi-finals in Rotterdam in 2019 and will aim to improve his 1-1 ATP Head2Head record against the Serbian player. If he advances, the top 10 players Alexander Zverev and Robert Bautista Agut loom in his section as potential semi-final clashes.
“The courts are really slow here, so the conditions he will probably like,” Medvedev said of his clash against Lajovic. “Of course it’s tough on the inside so the serve and the feedback will be very important. The more returns you make and the more aces you hit, the more pressure you put on [on your opponent]. I am definitely expecting a tough game against Dusan.
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