Daniil Medvedev‘s season on red Clay will open in the Masters 1000 in Madrid with a few weeks delay due to his positive reaction to covid-19 found in the first days of the Monte-Carlo tournament, which forced the Russian to forfeit.
Not an idyllic relationship, to say the least, the one between the number 3 of the world and the crushed brick. His characteristics, in fact, are not well matched with the surface. And this is what the Russian spoke about on the eve of the Spanish tournament that will see him make his debut against the winner of the challenge between the Frenchman Herbert and the Spaniard Davidovich Fokina.
First match on clay
Russian Daniil Medvedev commented on a possible meeting with Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in Madrid.
“Of course it will be more difficult for me than for the other guys. I will probably meet Alejandro Davidovich Fokina at the start. He’s already had four tournaments on the ground, and I haven’t had any. Now I need to win some matches to feel more confident. That’s the most important thing.”
Daniil Medvedev
In an interview with the tournament press service in Madrid, Daniil Medvedev spoke about his attitude toward the clay.
Just smile @DaniilMedwed | #MMOPEN pic.twitter.com/ukRPhuHYel
— #MMOPEN (@MutuaMadridOpen) May 2, 2021
“I honestly don’t think it will change my relationship with clay,” Medvedev sentenced. “I think my strokes and my physique don’t adapt well to this surface. The first week I come to the clay, I hate everything around me.
I hate being on the court and this is very rare for me. Then I get used to it and it gets better. What motivates me the most is that I am able to win matches. A few years ago I beat great players on clay, I was in great shape.
So I know I am capable of doing it again, I just need to find those feelings again, which is difficult for me on this surface.”
The Russian will take part in the Madrid event for only the third time in his career and is still in the hunt for his first success, despite the faster court conditions: in 2018 he lost in two sets to Edmund, while the following year he surrendered in three to Pella.
“I think the altitude can help me. Madrid courts are the most similar to concrete courts because of those conditions, because this clay is faster and the serve can also reach a higher speed.
So that is one of the factors that makes me feel more comfortable in this tournament. I have to see how I feel in the first match, because it will be very important to gain confidence,” says the Russian.
On expectations for the season on red Medvedev flies low: “My main goal is to proceed step by step. Whether here in Rome or at Roland Garros, the goal is to win at least one match.”
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