Open to modifying his game, Medvedev looks to bring more aggression
After his bold serving and heavy hitting paid dividends in Cincinnati, the Russian wants to continue showcasing more sides of his abilities at the US Open.
NEW YORK—Daniil Medvedev wants to change a winning formula.
He's won more matches than any other player during the hard-court season, reaching finals at Washington and Montreal and winning Cincinnati. The 23-year-old Russian got most of those wins with his solid play, relying on his ability to extend rallies and force opponents into errors.
But his biggest win, a three-set victory against Novak Djokovic in the Cincinnati semifinals, was very different. Down a set and a break, Medvedev switched to a huge-serving, huge-hitting game that allowed him to take down the No. 1 player in the world.
"I basically felt, playing against this big three opponents or anybody who is tough, you need to adapt your tactics. I felt really tired, which is completely normal, this match," he said, recalling the encounter following his opening win at the US Open.
"Pushing the ball and staying solid, I'm going to destroy myself and he's going to destroy me... That's why I knew that the only chance is to go aggressive, and since I'm a good player, I was able to play good even playing kind of not my style. That's why it's a big victory, also."
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It's also the way he's been looking to play more often, noted Medvevev.
"Yeah, we are working a lot on this in practice, because of course you need to reinforce your strengths. But you have to also work on your, let's say, not weak parts, but things that you need to improve."
But even if he's working on playing with more aggression against the top names, he also wants to stick with what's been successful. Medevedev played 16 matches in 20 days during his three-event run, including a defeat to Rafael Nadal in the Montreal final.
"I would say that actually it's consistency, that is the biggest key," he said. "I mean, because, to be honest, every match I played, even the match against Rafa, I felt really good inside, only confident of my game."
Medvedev's win at Cincinnati enabled him to break into the Top 5 for the first time.
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