23 November,2020 08:29 AM IST | London | AFP
Rafael Nadal during his semi-final match of the ATP World Tour Finals against Daniil Medvedev in London on Saturday. Pic/Getty Images
World No. 2 Rafael Nadal could almost see the finish line as he faced a rock-solid Daniil Medvedev for a spot in the championship match at the ATP Finals. The 20-time Grand Slam winner claimed a tense opening set against the Russian, a player he had defeated in their previous three ATP Head2Head encounters, and broke late in the second set to serve for the match, leading 5-4.
A victory would have put him one step closer to claiming the only Big Title that has eluded him after 10 appearances. But Medvedev made Nadal wait a little longer, as he broke back to love and turned the match on its head to reach his first final at the season-finale. "I think at the beginning of the match he was better than me," Nadal assessed in his post-match press conference. "I was able to save my serves with troubles, but then I played well to have the break and then to close the set. "In the second, a little bit the same story at the beginning, but at the end of the set I was playing a little bit better than him. And then in the 5-4 I think he played a good game and I didn't. I played a bad game.
Daniil Medvedev
That's it. But I had a big opportunity. I lost a big opportunity." The Spaniard faced Medvedev three times during the Russian's breakout 2019 season - including a meeting in last year's ATP Finals group stage. With each match, Medvedev seemed to edge closer and closer to victory. After a straight-sets beatdown in the Coupe Rogers final, he pushed Nadal to five sets in the US Open final. At this event last year, Medvedev led by 5-1 in the third set and held match point before Nadal stormed back to win. Leading by a break in the second set on Saturday, Nadal was in pole position to claim his fourth victory in a row over Medvedev and reach his third ATP Finals championship match.
Courtesy: atptour.com
Tennis Australia says the dates for next year's Australian Open in Melbourne should be known within two weeks. Chief executive Craig Tiley in a statement said Tennis Australia is "doing everything we can to finalise the summer of tennis as soon as possible." "Our intention is to deliver a summer in conditions that allow the players to prepare and perform at their best and the fans to enjoy their efforts all in an environment that is safe for all concerned," he said.
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