Daniil way too comfortable?

Russian duel, and you could say Medvedev starts with a slight advantage...

8/2 head-to-head for Medvedev against his friend Rublev (and his daughter’s godfather). Obviously the two know each other by heart and this match will be special. They haven’t played each other for a while though, and a lot has happened since then. Their level has dropped over the past few seasons and they’re both searching for form; whoever wins the title will be able to breathe a bit easier.

I haven’t seen a prime Medvedev this week yet, but he’s cleaner than in recent months and really focused on keeping the ball in play, finding good consistency from the baseline again. We’re seeing what used to be Daniil’s strength, and he seems to have found his serve again too, which is important given how disastrous that shot had been lately. It’s been a good week and he’s got a match-up coming that he usually handles well: he can neutralize Rublev’s power and counter him brilliantly. I do mean usually, because you can feel Medvedev is never far from cracking again and he’s less dominant even when the match-up is supposed to favor him.

On Rublev’s side, it’s also been a good week; I’d even say he impressed me more out of the two, with some sets played at a very high level. Attacking and blasting the ball at a crazy pace is what he loves, and normally Daniil will let him have that role. It always comes down to who manages to impose their style best: if Daniil doesn’t miss and locks Rublev into endless rallies, he’s stronger. But if he starts to struggle and Rublev is inspired, he can break the wall.

It’s also a final that’s not easy to handle mentally. I have to say on that front I prefer Medvedev: Rublev can get extremely tense and frustrated in this kind of match.