Daniil Medvedev mouths ‘boring’ as Australian Open men’s final trophy presentation takes place
While Daniil Medvedev spoke graciously in his press conference, a rude sledge was caught on camera during the awards ceremony. Watch the video here.
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Hothead Daniil Medvedev spoke graciously after his epic Australian Open Final defeat, but it was one word he mouthed away from the microphone that raised eyebrows.
The Russian engaged Rafael Nadal in a lengthy discussion during master of ceremonies Todd Woodbridge’s introduction to the post-match ceremony and then appeared to say: “Boring” as he was praised by Tennis Australia chair Jayne Hrdlicka.
“You were clearly determined to (stop) history in the making for the second time in a row, and that didn’t happen tonight,” Hrdlicka said.
Did anyone else think it looked like Medvedev mouthed “boring†twice while Jayne Hrdlicka was singing his praises?
— The Sage (@SarkySage) January 30, 2022
If not why was he rolling his eyes and scoffing?#AusOpenpic.twitter.com/PSiUEUj41S
“But there is no doubt that we are going to see you back here and that you are on your way to making your own records in the tennis history books. Congratulations.”
It was when the camera zoomed in on Medvedev during that spiel that he mouthed the word.
Medvedev revealed he was pestering Nadal asking whether he was tired during Woodbridge’s introduction.
“It is tough to talk after five hours 30 (minutes) and losing,” Medvedev said.
“I tried during the match just to play tennis, but after the match I asked him, ‘Are you tired?’
“Because it was insane. I think the level was very high.
“I thought he is going to get tired and maybe he did just a little, but still won the match. You are an amazing champion. I think we have a good rivalry still. It is not over yet.
“Usually there is my wife in the box, but I think probably the TV is broken right now. She is my biggest support.”
NADAL SEALS HISTORY BY TAKING DOWN NOVAK 2.0
Rafael Nadal has rewritten the history books and the man who he wrestled the pen from could pass as Novak Djokovic’s stunt double.
Let’s just hope the chapter where Nadal becomes the greatest grand slam winner in tennis history doesn’t go soggy with sweat from the soaking superstar.
As for Australian Open runner-up Daniil Medvedev? No, he doesn’t have the same slick black hair or weird habits as Djokovic, such as only drinking warm water.
But he is just as unlikeable.
There was no mega meltdown in Sunday night’s final for the ages, as Nadal broke the golden tie-breaker with Djokovic and Roger Federer by securing his 21st grand slam.
Well, not compared to Medvedev’s Friday night’s semi-final implosion.
But there were still moments of madness in what became the sideshow to Rafa’s magical Monday morning.
Like the angry Russian’s spat with the chair umpire over the ball kids.
Yes, the ball kids, because he was unhappy with the uneven distribution.
Later that set, Medvedev sarcastically clapped along when a bad blunder gave up two break points in the third set.
The response to the gesture was emphatic.
‘BOOOO’ echoed around Rod Laver Arena, and when the volume was raised before Medvedev’s second serve he got real antsy.
The hothead asked Canberra chair umpire John Blom to call out the “idiots” in the stands.
“Can you take control? Please? Small please is not enough. Can you step up?” Medvedev begged.
“Say it every time. If you have to say it 25 times, say it every time.”
It became a theme almost every change of ends.
“Empty brains … their lives must be very bad,” was how Medvedev described the rowdy crowd to Blom.
Bang. Just like that, Medvedev was suddenly fighting all of Nadal, 12,000 fans, the chair umpire, his fading body and perhaps even the ball kids.
The Russian who was booed when he entered Rod Laver Arena tried to make peace with the unforgiving crowd when he clinched the second-set tie-breaker.
Raising his arms like Nick Kyrgios does worked for some supporters, but the raucous applause for a Nadal break point the very next game was a sharp reminder of who they wanted to win.
Then again, Medvedev didn’t even have much support in his own player’s box, with French coach Gilles Cervara and his manager surrounded by empty seats.
There was no entourage, the sports psychologist who spurred Medvedev to last year’s US Open a notable absentee.
Djokovic was thrashed by Medvedev in straight sets at Flushing Meadows back then and now he has been stripped bare.
Nadal has pinched the nine-time Australian Open champion’s Melbourne Park crown and Medvedev has taken his mantle as the sport’s most disliked superstar.
John McEnroe said some people think Djokovic is Darth Vader.
Well, Medvedev nailed this tournament’s audition as the new antagonist.
Perhaps a black suit of obsidian armour, along with that crown, has been repossessed from Djokovic.
The real problem is what comes next.
Medvedev is at his level and Nadal would be a warm favourite to bolt to 22 slams at this year’s French Open, where Djokovic’s two missed shots could once again keep him off the guest list.
If Rafa races to 22 there might be no coming back for Roger and Novak.
Nadal had to break history in order to make history.
He was 0-7 in grand slam finals after losing the first set while Medvedev was 18-0 in majors when he has taken the first.
On Sunday night, Medvedev took the first two. By Monday morning – the fifth set started after midnight – it mattered little.
Medvedev described Nadal as “the perfect guy” and proceeded to play perfect tennis for the first two sets.
He hurtled through his service games while even when Nadal held it looked like he was barely hanging on.
The Spaniard’s knuckles were blistered and bruised and Medvedev silenced his greatest the weapon – the forehand – hitting flat balls to the other side.
More than five hours on, the quality of the fifth set was equal to the first.
Walloping winners and ripping returns punctuating every game. A delightful drop shot sealed Medvedev’s final service game.
Nadal, ageing like a bottle of Rioja, was slow out of the blocks but built into beast mode.
It was night for pickle juice and a masseuse.
But not from the 35-year-old Nadal – instead from Medvedev, who was just nine years old when the Spaniard won his first grand slam.
That’s not to say it was a walk in the park for Rafa. At stages he was too fatigued to celebrate his forehand-smoked winners.
In the second set, Nadal’s shorts were so drenched with sweat that he chose not to store tennis balls in the pockets.
They became too wet and heavy and so Nadal instead requested a fresh ball for every second serve.
For so much of this match it look like Daniil, the lanky Russian with a rocket serve who blows up the GPS.
Medvedev’s 116 aces this open ranks No.1, miles ahead of Matteo Berrettini (106) and Maxime Cressy (95).
He’s a marathon runner masquerading as a tennis player, and that makes him the best defensive player on the planet.
Seriously, a 198cm baselines with a power serve?
In AFL speak it is almost like a 195cm midfielder … think Patrick Cripps or Marcus Bontempelli.
It might just be the new age prototype.
Medvedev’s long levers and twisting toes help turn any ball around, including serves.
Medvedev’s 22 aces towered over Nadal’s three, although the lucky last brought him to within one point of where no tennis player has ever gone.
Some points Nadal was forced to win three times, with the first two put-aways boomeranging back.
Medvedev plays so deep behind the baseline it wouldn’t surprise if an outbreak in the crowd left him as a close contact.
Good thing the Covid Marshalls have been so stringent at Melbourne Park.
The legendary Rod Laver has never had such a close-up view of a local champion, and it works for the Russian.
How do you slap a ball past a bloke who is almost playing from the stands?
Tennis court dimensions haven’t evolved since 1882. But Medvedev is doing that his own way.
The bigger the better and that’s why he wasn’t happy playing on Margaret Court Arena last week
“It would be easier (to play) on Rod Laver with more space,” the man who once ran into a TV camera in Cincinnati said.
But Nadal is now king of the jungle – not a small cat – and Medvedev eventually melted away in the moonlight.
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