Daniil Medvedev has vowed to ‘play different’ in his next match against Jannik Sinner, after a humbling experience for the world No 4 at the Miami Open.
Jannik Sinner produced a stunning performance to demolish defending champion Medvedev and reach the Miami Open final.
This was a rematch of the Australian Open final, which Medvedev led by two sets to love before Sinner stormed back to claim his first grand slam title.
Yet their latest meeting was nowhere near as competitive, with Sinner storming to a 6-1 6-2 victory in just 69 minutes to reverse the result of last year’s final.
The Italian lost his only match of the season so far to Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-finals in Indian Wells two weeks ago but has been dominant once more in Florida.
Serena Williams was among the crowd, and some fans at Hard Rock Stadium jeered Medvedev late in the second set after two wild errors, with the Russian completely outplayed by his opponent.
Sinner, who can overtake Alcaraz as world number two by winning the title, said on Sky Sports: “I felt great on court today. I served very well, especially in important moments.
“I handled the situation well in the beginning of each set. He had some break chances, if he makes them, it’s already much different. I’m very happy. I think Daniil didn’t play his best today, he missed some shots which he usually doesn’t miss, but I took the chance and I’m very happy to be in the final.”
Medvedev received some boos from the crowd in Miami who didn’t feel he was giving his all to the match, but he insisted Sinner was simply too good.
“He’s playing well now,” said Medvedev. “He doesn’t miss much and he can make winners so well.
“He serves very well. Even today the few moments where maybe I could have came back in the match here and there, 130 on the line, slice on the line, second serve on the line, deep, and yeah, that’s tough to play when he plays like this.
Unstoppable Sinner 🥶
The best of a pitch-perfect @janniksin performance vs Medvedev! pic.twitter.com/FrWpJtthms
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) March 29, 2024
“You know, the next time I’m gonna play I’m gonna try for sure to play better, maybe a bit different, and let’s see if he manages to continue to play the way he does, because if he manages, it’s going to be tough for many other players.”
Medvedev also suggested he is preparing to change his approach against Sinner, as he suggested the attacking plan that failed to work in Miami came close to bringing him success in the Australian Open final.
“My plan was to play aggressive kind of like in Australia, a bit more aggressive than I usually do, and it’s always a risk,” he added.
“Because even if I practice this on practice courts, my game is like counter-defensive style, but I felt like against him, and that’s why I did it in Australia, this might not be not enough anymore.
“That’s why the head-to-head is a little bit worse than it was a couple of months ago.
“In Australia it worked well. Here, I was missing too much. Before the second set, and I was completely okay physically and everything, before the second set the question was do I go back to playing, like, my style or I continue this way?
“Because if we saw Alcaraz against him in Indian Wells was same, 6-1, kind of easy, and then Carlos managed to step up and play better and beat Jannik.
“I was like, no, I want to try to do the same, and I didn’t manage to do it. That time I decided to, let’s say, play my game. It was a bit too late.
“I mean, still had Love-30 and volley, but it’s not easy to come back from this score. Yeah, for sure I’m disappointed, but that’s how life is sometimes. That’s how tennis is.
“After the match like this, I’m asking myself if I should have changed it earlier, but I stick to what I thought was going to work, and I wanted to do it better and I didn’t manage to do it. When I changed, it was just too late.
“So, no, when I have the next match against him, I’m gonna see what I do and how I develop.”
