Toni Nadal: 'Daniil Medvedev couldn't stand pressure against Novak Djokovic'

The Australian Open final saw the clash between the two finest players on the Tour at the moment, with Novak Djokovic seeking the ninth Melbourne crown and Daniil Medvedev the first Major trophy. Djokovic had to work hard in four out of six matches before the final, spending a lot of time on the court and struggling with an abdomen injury that gathered dark clouds over his campaign. On the other hand, Medvedev had won 20 consecutive matches before the title clash, conquering the Paris Masters, the ATP Finals and the ATP Cup to gather a boost ahead of the season's first Major.

Toni Nadal shared his thoughts about the Australian Open final.

The Russian played well in the opening six encounters, hoping for more of the same against Novak but suffering a 7-5, 6-2, 6-2 in an hour and 53 minutes to propel Djokovic towards the 18th Major crown! Delivering impressive tennis on both serve and return, Novak prevailed in the opening set and never looked back, playing better and better as the match progressed to leave the opponent far behind and remain perfect in the Australian Open title matches. Speaking about the final, Toni Nadal said that Medvedev couldn't stand the pressure from the other side, although he believed Djokovic would feel it before the encounter. Daniil lost the crucial points and fell apart after the opening set, badly wanted to win that first Major crown and crumbling under that burden. 

"I'm sure Daniil came out to Rod Laver Arena with all the information about Novak well analyzed. Still, he couldn't retain his poise, overcome the frustration of not winning the first set, or keep up the fight in those difficult moments. It surprises me that athletes of this level sometimes have that little capacity to face the difficulty. A day before the final, he said that the pressure was higher for Djokovic, who can't miss the opportunity to win titles if he wants to match Roger and Rafael. The outcome of the match showed that the pressure was on his shoulders. The difference between scoring a first Major or missing a new opportunity has an overwhelming weight, no matter how young you are," Toni Nadal said.

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/37FPyHu