Medvedev tops Thiem for the ATP Finals title

Medvedev tops Thiem to win the 2020 ATP Finals. He becomes the first to beat the top, second, and third seeds en route to the title in the season finale. The event moves to Turin in Italy next year. Daniil is the first Russian to win here since Davydenko’s 2009 triumph in London.

Medvedev tops Thiem

Medvedev came from a set down to hand Thiem a consecutive loss in the finals of this event. Dominic had lost in the final to Tsitsipas last year.

Thiem was the better player for the first set and the first half of second. Medvedev, however, found the extra gear to reel off 7 straight points from 0-2 down in the second set tie break. Medvedev’s flat ground shots found their mark to put Thiem under pressure in the third . Medvedev then broke Thiem in the fifth with a volley and, thereafter, allowed Dominic no chance to mount a comeback. It was a disappointing 4-6, 7-6 (7/2), 6-4 loss for Thiem who squandered quite a few opportunities to break back in the third.

“Of course, I am disappointed, but at the same time I am also proud of the performance of all the week,” said Dominic. “Daniil really deserved it. It was an amazing match.”

Also read: Can Thiem or Medvedev challenge Djokovic?

Thiem at his best is unstoppable and we saw that against Djokovic in the third set tie break yesterday. But he needs to conjure the best when needed and at will. He failed to do so against Medvedev and paid the price with another disappointing runner up performance here. If he can learn to produce his best in crucial moments then he will be a force and contender in all events he enters.

Expect big things from Daniil in 2021

Daniil Medvedev won 10 consecutive matches and 2 big events this month. He will be a threat and contender in the hard court slams in 2021. He, however, realized how close he was to losing the match and appeared genuinely proud of his victory over Thiem.

”It was the toughest victory in my life because Dominic is a really tough player to play,” said Medvedev. “I think today he was at his best. That’s what I felt during the match. He was really close to winning it second set. I managed to stay there. I felt in the third set that I was really tired physically, for sure, but I felt like he started to miss some balls, he started to run a little bit slower because he was tired.

”To make Dominic tired in a three-set match, not a five-set, I think is a great achievement. All these small things, Dominic is playing as today one of the best players in the history, not yet maybe by the titles and Grand Slams, but as I say, playing today.”

With Medvedev and Thiem on the rise, 2021 could be an interesting year for men’s tennis.