By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Wednesday, April 10, 2024 Ruling the Everlasting Metropolis final spring has infused Daniil Medvedev with immutable confidence for this clay-court season.
The Rome champion received 5 video games in a row defeating Gael Monfils 6-2, 6-4 in his 2024 clay-court opener in Monte-Carlo at this time.
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Eighteen of Medvedev’s 20 profession titles have come on his beloved exhausting court docket, however the 2023 Roland Garros quarterfinalist says going the space in Rome provides him the self-belief he can win any clay-court event, together with the French Open.
“Final season primarily confirmed me that I can win any event on clay, as a result of whenever you win Rome and also you go to the quarters within the French, enjoying 5 units, I consider I can win any event,” Medvedev advised the media in Monte-Carlo. “There is no distinction between the French or Rome.
“After all the French is a Grand Slam, so it’s kind of totally different, but when you’ll be able to do nicely in these tournaments, you’ll be able to play any clay court docket event. It is good for my confidence. I do know I can do nicely if I play nicely.”
The 2021 US Open champion mentioned there are three major causes he is struggled to duplicate his hard-court success on dust:
1. It is harder to win low cost factors on serve.
2. Cay can elicit unruly bounces and
3. Medvedev finds himself having to work tougher to win factors on the slower floor.
“Now, clay is totally different from exhausting courts, as a result of on exhausting courts I do know I’ll, 90% of instances, will win,” Medvedev mentioned. “However in clay, not. I must work exhausting on every level. If I am up 40-Love on exhausting courts on my serve, I’d solely lose two of these serve video games within the yr, which isn’t true on clay. There are extra breaks, unhealthy bounces. Typically even the second serve you’ll be able to’t return.
“So I do not like clay as a lot as exhausting courts due to all that, however I am in a second once I settle for this. I attempt to discover options, and I am very glad within the zone I am in proper now.”
Medvedev will face buddy Karen Khachanov within the Monte-Carlo spherical of 16.
Picture credit score: Clive Brunskill/Getty
