Although rated higher, Djokovic lost to Medvedev after two sets with a score of 4-6 in the semi-finals of the ATP 500 Dubai Championships in the UAE. It is worth noting that Djokovic made 38 unforced errors, while Medvedev only made 12 errors.
Speaking at the press conference after the match, Djokovic shared: “I lost to someone better. I know I didn’t play well at many times, but that also happened because he played top-class tennis.” senior I made terrible mistakes in the first set, allowing Medvedev to win the second blocking game.
Daniil always makes opponents make unnecessary mistakes. That’s Medvedev’s way of playing. He is patient, energetic, plays a steady backhand and moves well despite being very tall. I need to learn from my mistakes and failures.”
Even though he was unable to win his sixth title at the Dubai Championships, Djokovic is still satisfied with his progress in recovering from his hamstring injury: “I’m seeing many positive signs. I’m satisfied with my current body condition.” and want to move on to the next challenge”.
Due to not being vaccinated against Covid-19, Djokovic will not be able to attend two ATP Masters 1000 tournaments in the US in March, Indian Wells (March 6 to March 19) and Miami Open (March 19 to April 2). The Serbian tennis player will return in Monte Carlo (April 8 to April 16), before heading to the important clay season with the Barcelona Open, Madrid Masters, Rome Masters and especially Roland Garros tournaments.
Daniil Medvedev couldn’t hide his joy after defeating Djokovic: “When you play against Novak, you have to be at your peak. I have to try to play the best I can to make it difficult for him. In the second set, I’m not I faced no break-point, but was also pulled into 30-30 many times. I calmly overcame the pressure and was happy when I reached the final.”
In the final of the Dubai Championships 2023, Daniil Medvedev will meet his compatriot Rublev (22:00 March 4) and if he wins, the world number 7 player will win three ATP tournaments in 3 weeks for the first time in his career. Before that, Medvedev continuously won the Rotterdam Open and Doha Open.
