Daniil Medvedev: Diriyah Tennis Cup Will Be Great Test for Australia
World No. 4 Daniil Medvedev says the inaugural Diriyah Tennis Cup in Saudi Arabia is a big part of his preparation for the upcoming Australian Open. The tournament will feature eight tennis players including Medvedev, three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka, Italian Fabio Fognini, Belgian David Goffin, American John Isner and Frenchman Lucas Pouille. Two more players are yet to be named for the tournament by the organizers.
The tournament, which would be held from December 12 to December 14, would be held at the Diriyah Arena in the UNESCO world heritage site and is the first international tennis tournament to be held in Saudi Arabia.
According to Arab News, Medvedev said, “Saudi will be a big part of my preparation for the new season. Coming to Saudi the heat and conditions will be similar to Australia. It will be a great test for us. It’s in our pre-season so we’ll want to get that match time in to prepare for the new season – but the fans should expect us to fight hard like in any tournament. It will be competitive and hopefully, they’ll be lots of fans coming to support us there. Hopefully, I can play some great tennis, help the country raise awareness of the sport and inspire people to play. Looking at the players confirmed it’s a really great field. I’ve heard a lot of good things about Saudi Arabia. I’m excited to promote tennis there especially as it’s the first tournament.
Speaking about his season so far, Medvedev added, "It’s been a great year for me, especially the second half. The highlights were in Washington and then finishing in Shanghai and winning that title. With six titles and two of them Masters titles, it wasn’t something I expected if I’m honest with you. To be successful in tennis you need to fight hard and play with passion. You need to fight hard on every single point. Look back on the times it doesn’t go well and always try to improve and always get better. Self-reflection is important. That might sound a bit tough for the kids, but that’s what it takes to breakthrough."
from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/33brNly
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