Daniil Medvedev failed to win his second Grand Slam tournament – the Australian Open 2022. In the final, Danya beat the legendary Rafael Nadal in two sets, but missed the victory – 6:2, 7:6, 4:6, 4:6, 5:7 .
Medvedev, as usual, fought with everyone – with an opponent, with a judge, arranged a war with the audience, as he likes. And in the end, in a real five-hour thriller with crazy tennis, Medvedev lost to himself. And he made Rafa a little more great: now Nadal has 21 Grand Slam victories … But what a crazy match it was!
Rafa went to this final through sweat and tears
Already in the middle of the first set of the final match with Rafael Nadal, it flowed as if he had fallen under the downpour. Rafa is a legend, one of the great three Djokovic-Federer-Nadal. He cannot be worshiped. This guy at 35 years old is doing young upstarts once or twice. But most of all, it causes respect for the difficulty with which Nadal gets every match. Injuries do not spare the Spaniard, and every year they suffer more and more.
Rafael missed most of last season due to a serious foot injury and coronavirus. Wimbledon, the Olympics, the US Open – everything is past … At some point, Nadal himself thought that this was the end of his career. That there is a well-deserved retirement ahead and only memories of gorgeously won tournaments. But at 35, Rafa found the strength to return. And not just go out on the court – win! And even on his unloved surface.
Nadal went to this final through pain, fatigue and tears. In the truest sense of these words. In the quarterfinals, in a 40-degree heat, Rafael suffered a heat stroke and lost 4 kilos of weight. After the victorious semi-final, he cried, covering his face with his hands. After the victorious final, I could be proud that I started this year with such tennis Daniil Medvedev!
Medvedev wants to prove that he deserves to be on an equal footing with the Big Three. Until it works
– Are you stupid? Look at me! – Medvedev yelled at the judge in the semi-finals. And then he repented to reporters of intemperance. In the final against Nadal, he was completely different at first. Even when Rafa pulled out incredible balls, Daniil endured, was silent and trie d not to show his disappointment in any way. Medvedev wanted to make it clear to all his people that he had grown up. Everything is in order with his nerves and psyche. He is ultimately worthy of fighting and beating legends like Rafael Nadal in tournaments like AO. But when something went wrong, he again fell on the audience Daniil Medvedev.
Medvedev took the first set easily. He hammered his filings into Nadal’s square with nails, and skillfully exhausted the Spaniard in other people’s games. As a result – 6:2. But in the second set, Daniel started having problems. Daniil Medvedev The Russian relaxed at the wrong time – after all, everyone around said that if he took the first game from an age-old opponent, then the job would be done. Daniil Medvedev And Rafa clung to the match with his teeth – he won someone else’s pitch, gave his own, and again took someone else’s. It all ended with a tie-break and Dani’s inspired game in it – 7:6!
