This was published 11 months ago
That’s a wrap on today’s Australian Open action.
Thank you for joining us on a where we saw some impressive tennis from Jannik Sinner and a stirring comeback from Daniil Medvedev.
Regardless how many sets he’s played this tournament, we can be sure Medvedev won’t go down without a fight tonight.
We’ll be back tomorrow for coverage of the women’s final and other action around Melbourne Park.
Cheers!
And they are the two deciders.
It’ll kick off with the women’s final at 7.30pm tomorrow night on Rod Laver Arena between Aryna Sabalenka and Zheng Qinwen.
Tomorrow’s finalists: Aryna Sabalenka and Zheng Qinwen.Credit: The Age
It’s second seed against 12th seed as Sabalenka bids to become the first woman to claim consecutive singles titals at Melbourne Park since her fellow Belarusian Victoria Azarenka in 2012 and 2013.
Zheng overcame a slow start in her semi-final to defeat Ukrainian qualifier Dayana Yastremska, 6-4, 6-4, in another impressive performance.
But she mustered only five games off Sabalenka in the US Open quarter-finals last year, making the No. 2 seed the clear favourite.
Check out the best moments from Zverev and Medvedev’s clash tonight.
Check out some of the best images snapped at Rod Laver Arena tonight.
Old rivals: There was one flashpoint between Zverev and Medvedev tonight, but they shook hands respectfully at the end.Credit: AP
Medvedev dragged Zverev into an endurance battle, where he thrives, and came out victorious.Credit: AP
No.6 seed Zverev will have to wait for his first shot at an Australian Open title.Credit: AP
Medvedev has attracted the nickname “Octopus”, owing to his unorthodox style, seemingly endless reach and lanky limbs.
It was on show with some unlikely volleys tonight that increasingly frustrated Zverev.
Winners are grinners: Medvedev will contest his third Australian Open final.Credit: AP
Asked about the nickname after the match, Medvedev revealed friends have also jumped on board.
“It’s fine. It’s [fellow Russian player] Andrey [Rublev] who made this name. I didn’t like it too much, but it became funnier and funnier because some friends started buying toys for my daughter of an octopus.
“It’s pretty funny. Basically my name in Russian means bear, so I like that more, but whatever. Now it’s fine.”
Medvedev will now play in his third Australian Open final, having lost the previous two - first against Novak Djokovic, then against Rafael Nadal.
He said he had been working hard to improve his mental resilience in particular.
“Mentally and physically it’s tough, five sets. Many times in the fifth set I was not strong enough,” he said.
“One month ago, I wanted to change a little bit even more to be even stronger mentally, to think less about one guy in the crowd who screams something at you, or when I think the referee has done something wrong.
“I try to focus more - I’m far from being perfect, but I’m trying.”
Asked what a win on Sunday would mean, said Rod Laver Arena was not his “best court, in terms of my performance and my actual self-esteem”.
“That’s why many times I had to dig deep during these tournaments. So I would be the happiest man on the planet, but for this I need to play pretty well and win three sets on Sunday.”
A joyous Daniil Medvedev admitted he had to ride his luck at points tonight but said he refused to go down without a fight.
Medvedev silenced many doubters as he fought back from two sets down.Credit: Getty Images
“I was a little bit lost. During the third set I said ‘if I lose this match, I want to be proud of myself. If I lose, I lose.’ But I managed to win, so I’m very proud,” he said in his post-match interview on Rod Laver Arena.
He said he felt physically tired in the third set and started to play more aggressively so he could avoid long rallies.
’I started to win points I didn’t before, I started to serve better … sometimes you need to be lucky, and today’s my day,” he said.
This win has been pure Medvedev.
Nothing easy, everything based on graft, long points and daring your opponent to lose.
Into the final: Daniil Medvedev.Credit: Getty Images
In the later stages, Zverev has let the Russian enforce his preferred style.
Now, man who won at 4am earlier this tournament has sealed his place in the final at the comparatively early hour 12.05am.
He deserves his roses for this win as he looked gone for all money.
Zverev will be crushed but that’s tennis.
What an outstanding performance that was from Daniil Medvedev.
Two sets down, struggling to assert himself on the match and with a five-setter already in his legs from the previous round, the Russian appeared down and out.
But he simply does not know when to quit.
His five-set win 5-7, 3-6, 7-6, 7-6, 6-3 over Alex Zverev will go down as a Rod Laver Arena classic.
Medvedev will take on Italy’s Jannik Sinner in the final on Sunday.
Will he be fatigued? Logic suggests he must be, but logic suggested he should have lost tonight.
It will be an incredible showdown on Sunday.
Medvedev has held serve again, and he is one game from the Australian Open final.
I would not have believed you if you said we’d be at this point, but this is what the Russian No. 3 seed does.
3-5 down, Zverev must win this service game to stay in it.
Then, he must break Medvedev. Good luck.