Daniil Medvedev: Winning first title on grass would be special

Russian tennis star Daniil Medvedev arrived to Mallorca confirmed that he could play good tennis. 

On Friday, top-seeded Medvedev recovered from a set down to beat home favorite Pablo Carreno Busta 3-6 6-3 6-2 and reach his maiden grass final. 

Medvedev, who is enjoying a career-high ranking of No. 2 in the world, has won 10 ATP titles on hard courts. 

On Saturday, he will be aiming to win his first title outside hard surface. 

“I know that I can play good on grass,” Medvedev said. “Unfortunately we don’t have that many tournaments, only one ATP 500 and one Grand Slam. It’s going to be a special feeling [if I] win my first title on grass. I still don’t have one on clay, even if I have one final. Adding these titles, especially on different surfaces, can help your confidence and it’s just a great thing for your career.”

Medvedev showed great mental strength

Carreno Busta started the match with a 3-0 lead and he held on to his serve the rest of the set to take the opener. 

However, Medvedev responded as he started the second set with a 3-0 lead and held on to his serve the rest of the way to force a decider. 

Medvedev started the third set with back-to-back breaks and he ended up completing a comeback win. 

Medvedev will be fighting Sam Querrey for the Mallorca title.  

“It was not an easy match and it was in very hot conditions. I think we were both struggling physically in the third set,” Medvedev said. “But I think it was a high-quality match. It was very important to start good in the sets, this is what I didn’t manage to do in the first set. I had a lot of opportunities to try to come back, but he was better. 

“This is where I was better in the second and third set. It was a tight battle, and I’m really happy with the second and especially the third set."

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/3wXOucV