New York, September 13 (BUS): Novak Djokovic painfully failed to secure a clean sweep of this year’s Grand Slam, as Daniil Medvedev scored a stunning victory in the US Open final.
After claiming the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon titles, Djokovic arrived in New York in pursuit of the full set, but a 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 defeat means the death of the Grand Slam dream, German news agency DPA reported.
Rod Laver, the last man to achieve this single achievement, in 1969, was in the crowd to witness what most anticipated would be a momentous moment in tennis history. Instead, it was crucial for Medvedev, who was finally the Russian champion at the highest levels.
That means Djokovic is still tied with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal for 20 Grand Slam titles, as the 34-year-old has been informed here that a new generation is rising, led by world number two Medvedev.
It was a hot afternoon in New York, with temperatures jumping day by day with Emma Raducano’s victory in the women’s final, and Djokovic feeling the heat from the very first moments.
Medvedev broke in the first match against a tense and erratic opponent. Djokovic had said before stepping onto court that he hoped to make “the best version of myself” and promised he was “battle-ready”, but he’s been running about to get dumped at times here.
Djokovic had dropped the opening set in the previous four rounds at this US Open, winning three times in four sets and once in five during this sequence. He entered this match after spending five hours and 35 minutes on the court longer than Medvedev, an extraordinarily scenic route through the top-seeded rounds. And those extra miles in his legs showed Medvedev was running fast, closing the opener with an ace.
Djokovic has won 10 out of 10 matches in all four tournaments this year after losing the first set. The ATP says no man has ever won a slam title after losing five first sets at the same tournament. This is still true.
The Serbian had scored 0-40 on Medvedev’s serve in the second game of the second set, but the five-pointer straight from the Moscow man felt like a physical blow, and in the fourth match Djokovic’s frustration extended, brutally crushing his racquet with a hat-trick. times on the ground.
Djokovic was only dropping 50 from the first serve on court, and when he hit a weak backhand into the net, Medvedev earned two break points. He took second place when Djokovic hit a long shot, then stuck lovingly to a 4-2 lead.
At the third set point, Medvedev gave Djokovic a chance to make a pass, but the 34-year-old went too far. In two sets, Medvedev may have had thoughts about Stefanos Tsitsipas losing from such a lead to Djokovic in the Roland Garros final, but this time Djokovic was frustrated.
He scored a double break and led 4-0 in the third set, but made two consecutive fouls when the first point of the championship hit and returned one of those balls. Djokovic closed in 5-4, the New York crowd roared and the man rarely felt loved by the tennis crowd began to improve. Medvedev went out to repeatedly serve two goals in the tournament, but he had another point in store and Djokovic hit the net in the backhand.
For the first time since 1990, when Pete Sampras and Gabriella Sabatini dominated the rest, the US Open took a pair of first-time Grand Slam winners as its singles champion, with rookie Raducanu joined by Medvedev’s final article.
In an exceptional year for Djokovic, this has been a lousy day.