“It is easy to identify a serve-net player, an aggressive player from the bottom, someone who plays backlash or a puncher. Creating a game plan in front of them is relatively straightforward. And then there is Daniil Medvedev, who you don't know where he can go. Tennis has a new style of play: Murderer “, explains ATP on its website. And he argues the reasons after the Russian reached the ATP Finals after winning all five of his tournament matches over Zverev, Djokovic, Schwartzman, Nadal and Thiem.
1. Backhand hit inside the baseline
Medvedev: 26%
Five rivals: 12%
Medvedev loves to lean on a backhand and stick it flat like a pancake. In theory, opponents should be able to step forward and attack the blow without effect. The exact opposite happened at The O2. Overall, Medvedev contacted his backhand inside the baseline 26 percent of the time. His five rivals combined hitting his backhand inside the line for just 12 percent, less than half the Russian's total.
2. Direct serves
Medvedev: 43
Five rivals: 14
Medvedev completely outplayed all five of his opponents in this facet, hitting more than triple his total aces. In the semifinals against Nadal and in the final against Thiem, Medvedev added 25 aces. His rivals could only sign eight.
3. Big shots = Lower, deeper, stronger
Medvedev's average step height over the net was 67 cm, compared to 74 cm for the rest of his rivals. We would think that the highest ball on the net may be deeper, but this is not the case. Medvedev hit 86 percent of big shots past the opponent's service line, while his rivals stayed at 83 percent.
4. Points won with second serve
Medvedev: 48% (63/132)
Five rivals: 42% (60/144)
Winning the battle of the second set is essential. Medvedev incredibly earned this statistic by six percentage points. Rafael Nadal led second serve points on the ATP Tour in 2020 with 57.8 percent (527/912). In the semifinal, Nadal was only able to win 37 percent (19/51) against Medvedev, who accounted for 48 percent (12/25) of second-serve points. The fact that Nadal hit 51 seconds serves to Medvedev's 25 is another small battle won by the Russian.
5. Remains won at first serve
Medvedev: 29%
Five rivals: 22.5%
Medvedev eclipsed all five of his rivals in this statistic, who on paper should have been superior to the Russian. In 2020, Nadal was the best, Djokovic No. 3, Schwartzman No. 4, Zverev No. 9 and Thiem No. 11. The Russian. He had been No. 16, but closed the gap with his rivals in the season-ending tournament, winning 29 percent to 22.5 percent of his rivals.