Sinner lost the first two sets in that final, but he came roaring back to win in five, with nary a tiebreaker among them (clearly, each of these men can break the other’s serve). It’s a safe bet that Medvedev will be on alert, unwilling to let a similar opportunity slip. He is a defensive ultra-man, something of a rarity among the titans of tennis (at 6’6”, he’s the tallest of all Grand Slam champions). He learned the hard way, around 2018, that he needed to find a better way to handle big serves and to engage in rallies on an equal footing.
Going against the trend in the game, he began to field serves from far behind the baseline.
“I figured out I can beat a lot of players like this,” he said on Monday. “It’s maybe not ideal 100 percent of the time, but [it is effective].” Look for him to at least start the match with that tactic.
Medvedev leads the tournament in successfully converting break points, recording 29 thus far. Sinner is not far behind, having won 25. Medvedev ranks sixth in winning second-serve return points, with 108. Sinner is 12th, with 93. The margin is not that great.
There is a clear DIY element in Medvedev’s style of play, which is a major point of difference. The combination of Medvedev’s quirky game, his great quickness and defense, surprising stamina and a powerful serve make for a real hodge-podge that can be very hard to handle for a player like Sinner, who prefers straight-ahead tennis.
