Medvedev loses and returns Djokovic to number one

Daniil Medvedev’s first reign in the world rankings will be short. It will last only three weeks because the Russian fell this Monday in the third round of Indian Wells and needed to reach the quarters final to continue as number one in the world. Novak Djokovic will regain that position without playing, because his rival will be deducted the 250 points that he won last year around this time as champion in Marseille and next Monday the Serb will overtake him. “Is it better to be number one for a week in your life or never touch it? You know, I think it’s better to at least touch it.”said the Muscovite. The culprit of all this, in addition to Medvedev himself, was Gael Monfils, who embroidered him, in a transcript of game and show, to come back and win 6-6, 6-3, 6-2 in 2h06. It will be Alcaraz’s rival in the round of 16.

Djokovic, who has not been able to play at the BNP Paribas Open due to his refusal to be vaccinated (you cannot enter the United States without the certificate that proves having done so), has 8,465 points and Medvedev will keep 8,410. The case in which in Miami (March 24 to April 3), where the Balkan obviously will not be either, Daniil could claim the throne again, because he defends only 180 points from 2021 and the difference will remain at 55. But he would have to arrive to the semifinals since he defends 180 as a quarterfinalist in the last edition. “Definitely no pressure. I thought it might give me more motivation and it did. But I didn’t find my best tennis. Okay, Now I know I’m going to lose it, so I have Miami to try and get it back. I usually feel a bit better in Miami in terms of tennis so we will try to play well there. You know, I always say, when I play my best tennis, my good tennis, it’s really hard to beat me. But that’s the hardest part of tennis: playing it over and over again. That’s where the big three are just unreal, because no matter the conditions, no matter the surface, they’re always winning tournaments most of the time or winning some crazy matches. Yes, I will have to try to do better,” Medvedev explained.

The fact is that Monfils gave him a serious review from the second half of the second set, with a 9-1 run, some low serves, jokes, jokes with his rival and the chair umpire, he even cleaned the court with a towel when the champion of the last US Open, outraged by what was happening to him, broke his racket. That’s why he was booed by the public, due to his behavior and, surely, his controversial nationality, and that didn’t help him either. He left the track apparently calm, the procession was inside.

Indian Wells Masters 1,000 results.