AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 21, 2023

Daniil Medvedev

Press Conference

S. KORDA/D. Medvedev

7-6, 6-3, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the press conference of Daniil Medvedev. Tough match out there tonight for you, Daniil. What do you think made the difference in the end?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Matches like this are tough because, what I can say is that he played his good level, maybe a little bit better than his good level. I played not at all bad, but just a little bit below what I had to do to win.

That's tough because probably that's something about confidence, like being in the zone, and I wasn't there tonight. Like all the close points, I didn't win that many with like those beautiful rallies. He was winning a little bit more of them, was touching the lines a little bit more.

Yeah, in a way I think it was a top match where he was just better than me. I won many matches like this. Right now I'm a little bit struggling to win these kind of matches against opponents that can play good level. That's what I have to find back.

THE MODERATOR: Any questions?

Q. When you're playing someone like Sebi and experiencing his game, what's most difficult about facing him?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Yeah, the most difficult is that he hits very strong the ball. Probably one of the strongest hitters. Also takes it very early. There are some other guys playing like this, but they miss more than him. And he didn't miss that much.

Actually, when he was missing, I kind of took my opportunities I feel like. I don't feel like there were a lot of missed opportunities, and that's why I'm saying in general it's not like this point I had to do better, that point I had to serve better. I just had to be better in average on the whole level of the match, which I didn't manage to do.

His game, yeah, kind of different from everybody because very aggressive and very early he takes the ball. A little bit maybe like Novak. But, yeah, well, not every player is capable of doing that, so that's beautiful and that.

If I do it, I would be ranked 700 in the world, so yeah...

Q. You touched on it with your first answer, that you are struggling to win these kind of matches and going back to last year's Open. Your form hasn't been quite as good and you will be outside of the top 10. What's not happening in these matches for you now?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: To be honest, mostly the result. Even if we take last year, so basically the match against Nick, Felix, and Stefanos, kind of tough matches. You know, you cannot really explain it.

If we talk point by point, yes, this point I won, that point I won, I won the matches. It's just that I was, like, there on the court. I felt that there was big chance I'm winning this matches. My shots are there. I'm doing the right thing. Kind of the same with Rafa, but he managed -- that's why he is Rafa, he managed to beat me.

And today was a little bit different where he was on top of me all the time, and I was, like, trying to come back every set, trying to fight, trying to be there.

That's just, yeah, something about the feeling. And that's why tennis is so tough because in the top 30 everyone can beat everybody. Of course, the top 10 are more consistent, and that's why, actually, I'm dropping down a little bit now (laughing), but everyone can beat everybody. Even Novak can lose sometimes, yes. Less times than other people. Other than Novak, Rafa and Roger, other people lose even more times. It's just a question of, yeah, doing it more often, more consistently winning.

Q. Do you feel like your level hasn't dropped off dramatically or anything like that?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: No, that's the thing. My shots didn't change much. Before I was counter-attacking player. It's not like I was crushing the ball or something. I still am. It's just that some passing shots, some passing shots today, I had to do better.

Passing shots is a tough shot. It's not like you can practice it every day, and it's going to go in. When you are in the zone, the guy comes to the net, and I'm going to pass him. Like he did couple of times with the lobs and stuff like this just a few centimeters off the line. Set point, first set, he touches the line. So that's, yeah, he was in the zone, and I was just a little bit out of it.

Q. Did it feel at all in that third set when you came back to get the break back like maybe you were going to be able to get yourself into the match and that he might be slipping a little bit there, or did it just feel like too big a hole to climb out of?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: No, I was pumping myself as much as I could to try to come back. So in a way happy that I managed to do it. At least, yeah, if we find positives in the match, that's for sure a positive.

Even the tiebreak, even at 6-1, I was, like, you know what, try to do it. You know, make the greatest comeback in the world. Well, 6-4, a point there, and, again, touches the line, winner. Could I have done better my shot? Maybe. He was in the zone. That's why he managed to do his shot.

Yeah, definitely inside my mind I was believing I can win because, well, it would be stupid to not believe in yourself. So exactly when I turned a little bit around and got the break back, I was, like, come on, try to be all over him. I had two times, if we can say, return for the set. I wanted to make him play. I wanted to be there. But he managed to be strong, and that's why he won, and big congrats to him.

Q. Daniil, you've called a trainer in the first set. Did it have an influence on your match? And marginally there's been many injuries since the beginning of tournament. Nick, Carlos before the tournament, Rafa, Djokovic. It's very early in the season. Are you surprised about that, and how can you explain that?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: No, I think injuries can happen any time. I think Carlos, I mean, got injured at the end of last season. Nick, I think his knee has been bothering him since long time. Me, I just for whatever reason today I felt some pain in my kind of wrist or forearm, I don't know. Actually, I think on the serve was bothering me a little bit.

So, yeah, a little bit not easy because I don't know where did it come from. We were working a lot on it before the match, but it didn't go away. So, yeah, not more to say.

Definitely nothing serious. Otherwise, I would not be able to play. But, yeah, it's a pity that on the serve I felt like I was missing a little bit my hand.