Novak Djokovic is one victory away from achieving the unprecedented here in the 2021 US Open. The Djoker has seen and done it all throughout his pro career but he remains hungry with his latest pursuit of history here at the Arthur Ashe Stadium.
He is tied with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal with 20 major singles titles – the most in men’s tennis – and getting one more would put him on top, further cementing his legacy in the sport.
After surviving a grueling five-setter against Alexander Zverev in the semi-final, who beat him previously in the Tokyo Olympics, Novak Djokovic sets up a date with Daniil Medevedev.
Daniil Medvedev plans to write his own story too as he’s still chasing that elusive major singles title but he’ll need to bring his A-game and more against the top-ranked ATP player in the world.
As we look forward to another cracker of a showdown, SBOTOP has you covered with the newest US Open 2021 updates.
Novak Djokovic is knocking on history’s door
Alexander Zverev spoiled Novak Djokovic’s Golden Slam bid at the Tokyo Olympics, but the Serbian would not be denied this time by the German.
It took Djokovic five sets to eliminate Zverev 4-6, 6-2, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 last Friday evening, and he moves within one win of becoming the first player since Rod Laver in 1969 to complete a Calendar Grand Slam by securing all four major titles in a single season.
Djokovic got off to a slow start as he was beaten in the first set but he came roaring back by claiming his first break point. And from there, Zverev began to play more defencively while Djokovic upped the ante in the second set.
One of the key moments of the match was when the two had a 53-shot rally as they exchanged one attempt after another. And although the point was lost by Djokovic, he would go on to win the third set.
Djokovic would lose in the fourth set but he immediately bounced back by going up 5-0 in the penultimate set. That early advantage was enough for him to win the match as the deficit was too huge for Zverev to overcome.
Despite being one step closer to the pinnacle, Novak Djokovic kept things in perspective as he channeled his inner Kobe Bryant when asked about the final.
“Why should I be happy right now? Job is not done. I am going to treat the next match like it is the last match of my career,” remarked Djokovic.
Novak Djokovic is 27-0 so far this season, but it will all come to naught if he’ll be defeated in his next match.
Can Daniil Medvedev finally win his first Grand Slam?
Daniil Medvedev certainly has all the motivation to ruin Novak Djokovic’s plans especially since he’s fresh from a 6-4, 7-5, 6-2 victory over Felix Auger-Aliassime.
After a strong performance in the first set, the world no. 2 found himself trailing 2-5 as he absorbed Auger-Aliassime’s forceful groundstrokes.
The match would’ve had a different outcome if Auger-Aliassime finished the job in the second set, but the Canadian had one miscue too many.
A miscalculated routine valley, a bad backhand, and a double-fault all led to Auger-Aliassime getting broken at love to fall behind at 6-5. When the opportunity presented itself for Medvedev, he simply capitalised and his momentum carried on to the final set.
The Russian was the more clinical player in the penultimate set as he only dropped two more games to finish the match in just under two hours. Overall, Medvedev completed 37 winners and 25 unforced errors.
During the post-match interview, Medvedev reiterated that he needs to perform much better if he’ll get to overcome someone like Djokovic in the final.
“I don’t think I played my best today but I’m really happy to be in the final. If it’s going to be the same match on Sunday as the 2019 US Open final. I just hope I can win this time,” said Medvedev.
Medvedev and Djokovic have met earlier this year in the Australian Open final where the latter won 7-5, 6-2, 6-2. The Russian came close to winning the US Open title in 2019 where he was beaten by Rafael Nadal.
This will be the ninth time ever that they’ll face off, with Novak Djokovic holding the head-to-heads edge by winning five times while Daniil Medvedev won in three.
The US Open 2021 odds have Novak Djokovic as the favourite to win in this match at 1.36 while Daniil Medevedev is at 2.92.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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