Medvedev won the first set 6-4, and saved a break point to make it 4-4 in the second. But he was teetering a bit physically in the high heat—the same heat that had made him cramp twice already in China. Johansson told him, from what I could hear, that anytime he got a ball around the service line, he should “dictate.” From 15-30, Medvedev did just that. He flattened out a forehand and put it on the baseline for a winner, and then did the same with a backhand two points later to break. One more comfortable service hold and he was into the semis for the second straight week.
“I was really clutch in important moments,” Medvedev said. “I was hitting the ball great, I was putting him under pressure. The second set was tough, tight, but I managed to really bring the best of me in the last two games.”
What’s different about this Medvedev than the one we saw for the first eight months of the year? Against De Minaur, he tried to use his octopus-like athleticism for offense as well as defense. He ran around to hit more forehands, and ended up with 27 winners, while winning 79 percent of first-serve points. Those are good numbers against a speedy wallboard like De Minaur.
More telling, perhaps, Medvedev was 10 of 11 at net. He stretched out his long right arm to put one volley away, and deftly measured another short one for a winner. He has never been a net-rusher; in fact, he’s famous for retreating to the baseline when he has a chance to move in. But his wingspan makes it a natural place for him to finish points, and, just as important for someone approaching his 30s, end them more quickly.
