Masters 1,000 | Medvedev casts Zverev to win his third Masters 1,000

Alexander Zverev could not pay tribute to his coach David Ferrer, who won the only Masters 1,000 of his career precisely in Paris, in 2012. He embroidered it for a set and a half, but Daniil Medvedev imposed his game patient and wear and tear, he came back and ended up defeating the German, who was on a streak of two titles and 12 wins, with a devastating 7-0 run between the second and third sets: 5-7, 6-4 and 6-1 in two hours and 7 minutes.

This is how the 24-year-old Russian and now fourth in the world won, ahead of Roger Federer himself, his third trophy in the category, eighth in total in his still short but already brilliant career. Not bad for a tennis player who practically did not exist before 2018 and who in three years has been placed at the top of the world panorama. His course was quite discreet until the Accor Arena arrived to complete an excellent week, which culminates with another championship in the French capital tournament for his country, which He has already enjoyed in the past with the successes of Yevgeny Kafelnikov (1996 and 2001), Marat Safin (1999, 2000, 2002 and 2004), Nikolay Davydenko (2006) and Karen Khachanov (2018).

Medvedev and Zverev played a paradigmatic final of what tennis will be like in the future. Two very tall guys (1.98 m both), with magnificent serve, precision, power and, especially in the case of the Muscovite, patience and tactical ability. Perhaps less colorful and exciting than the one preached by Nadal, Djokovic and Federer, but with a very high pace and interesting aspects. That was seen in the first set, with few rallies and many cannon shots at service. Zverev moved better in that area, scratching a break just for 7-5. He seemed grown up, however, Medvedev took him to his field, began to rally, to change directions and heights, with the occasional left in between. In this way and after a long fourth game in the second set, the Russian melted the German. He did not break there, but he took him off the point until he started that 7-0 run that devastated his enemy. There the duel ended, because Sascha, with an impeccable attitude since Ferrer guided him, no longer had a physical or tennis response. Perhaps that is the problem of these kids, giant reeds that, due to their size, suffer against the veterans of the Big three in five-set duels.