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WESTERN & SOUTHERN OPEN

August 17, 2019

Daniil Medvedev

Cincinnati, Ohio

D. MEDVEDEV/N. Djokovic

3-6, 6-3, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Five second-serve aces tonight, looked like you really started going big on the second midway through the second set.
DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Yeah, I didn't know it was five. Yeah, as I said on the court, at one moment, I think it was 3-All, 30-All when I did the first time, and I was standing there before my second serve, and I was, like, I'm losing literally. I don't know the percentage I had, but in my opinion I had, like, 20% the second service won. Especially in the crucial moments he was pushing me.

So I say, If I do one double fault it won't change my life. Same result. But if I put it in, it's maybe going to be an ace, and I actually made a good decision to do it like this.

Q. In your previous matches with Novak, they looked very exhausting. So many long rallies. Just wondering why you decided to be a lot more aggressive, particularly in the final two sets?
DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Because I was more tight, because I knew I couldn't hold a 40-shot rally today. And especially I felt it in the first set. Was first time I stepped on the center court to hit some balls. I was not feeling the ball well.

I was serving good from the beginning. But every time I had a long point I felt like he was all over me, so I said to myself, Okay, I need to be more aggressive, I need to step it up, I need to hit stronger to make him miss. I'm happy it worked out.

Q. Some players have to find the right tactic to beat those top players. How do you feel you can do it in different ways?
DANIIL MEDVEDEV: At this moment, I can only do it against Novak, one of the big three. I won only three games against Rafa last week. I mean, I have not much to say.

I'm just super happy with the level I played today. Yeah, as you say, playing aggressive. And against Novak and beating him is a great achievement, you know. Especially thinking he was in good form here, I think.

Q. Your country lady, Svetlana, says that Russian mentality is not afraid of taking risks and that kind of mentality reflects on play style. So do you have also that kind of tendency, Russian mentality?
DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Well, I would say lately my game tactic and plan is to not taking too much risks. But today was the case.

Is it the Russian mentality? Yeah, probably, because when you see my second serves, as I say, it was not that I was scared of something, like, scared, I don't know, to just put the second serve in. It was really just taking risks and was a good risk. So maybe it has something with the Russian mentality.

Q. To follow up on that, when you did hit the big second serve, did it feel like, Wow, I'm doing something very risky, or did it feel comfortable?
DANIIL MEDVEDEV: No, I mean, first of all, I have to say that I did it even in juniors sometimes. I don't do it that often. Actually, what's funny, I did it against Goffin in Wimbledon a lot, if I'm right. So I am doing it from time to time.

As I say, it was just because if, for example, Novak would miss after my normal second serve, I would never do it. But I felt he was all over me, so I felt I had to do it. Even when I was hitting some doubles, I think I did two or three, zero regrets. Okay, well, I lost the point. Would be the same if I made just normal second serve.

Q. Three finals in three weeks is pretty incredible. The two finals did not go the way you wanted them to. What do you need to do to finish the week with another win?
DANIIL MEDVEDEV: I need to win (smiling). No, actually, my mentality is always I take every match the same, from the first round, because I always say if you lose in the first round you won't be in the final, so why to take it different?

I mean, talking about the final against Rafa, tough one. I would say actually don't have any regrets. I mean, if it would be 7-6 in the third, then I would be sitting here, and, Yeah, I had my chances. I had zero chances.

Against Nicky, I had my chances. I didn't use them. I'm going to go out there tomorrow and be ready to fight, be consistent, and hopefully I can be the winner.

Q. So you clearly lifted your game in the second set in the middle of the second set. Did you notice Novak's game drop off, or did you think he stayed at about the same level but you just outcompeted him?
DANIIL MEDVEDEV: It's tough to say, because I think it's completely normal in tennis where you're one on one that when one energy lifts up, and I actually felt it already at, like, 2-All, I think, or 3-2 for me in the second set, I'm starting to catch the second breath, starting to be more aggressive, and I find it completely normal that even such champion as Novak can feel my energy growing up and so his energy went a little bit down.

I managed to use it straightaway in the third set, also, and just kept the gap that I made during this momentum change.

Q. You said that earlier today you were hitting balls on center court for the first time. How much different did it play compared to the others?
DANIIL MEDVEDEV: It's completely normal that it felt different. Court is probably the same but just the atmosphere of the stands around you makes the ball go different. I would say flies less.

Other courts had to kind of keep the ball down so it doesn't go out. Here it was different. I had to push it further so it doesn't go in the net. That's what I did the first few games. I just couldn't feel the ball. But now I'm used to it, so tomorrow I'm ready.

Q. You had some pain in your right arm during the game. Do you have any concerns about that for tomorrow?
DANIIL MEDVEDEV: At this moment, no. After, I'm going to see the physio, but as soon as he makes something, then I have to always repeat it was even not the three minutes, so I didn't break anybody's rhythm or anything.

It felt much better. I think it was just that the humidity was more today. Ball gets heavier. When you hit 130-mile serve, well, it hurts your arm, to be honest.

Q. Does it feel like a special final tomorrow? Normally you don't have the chance of winning a Masters 1000 without playing the final with one of the top three or four. Does it feel something special you're the favorite? You're the better-ranked player.
DANIIL MEDVEDEV: No, as I say, try to take every match no matter who I'm playing the same. Answering your question to be in this final without a top 3, I had to beat one today.

No, I don't feel any extra pressure or in contrary any extra confidence that I'm playing Goffin and not, for example, Rafa. But probably in percentage changes, yes, I have a better chance to win against David than against Rafa, but it does not mean that I cannot lose.

Q. How important is your coach?
DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Super important, because we started working kind of, like, intermediately just with him two years ago, I mean, before the start of the '17/'18. Since then I was only improving my game, and even when I didn't have the results that we wanted, we were always there together for each other, and he just, every day, he's on the court with me.

He's trying to find a way to make me play better, and I try to listen to him, even though it's tough sometimes, player/coach relationship. He's probably the most important guy on the team, and I see him more than my wife.

Q. Looking forward to tomorrow's final, do you expect to play aggressively or are you going to go back to your solid rally?
DANIIL MEDVEDEV: I think I will need to play aggressively, especially remembering my match in Wimbledon against David. I felt that I couldn't keep up with his consistency when he's in great shape.

At one moment I stepped up my game kind of like today with aggression and I almost won the match, though I lost it, and I think I'm going to have to be aggressive tomorrow.

Q. Did you forget before today that matches sometimes have three sets?
DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Yeah, I mean, I'm happy about it that I managed, because I didn't think about this during the match, but probably when I lost the first set many people could say, Okay, Danny only plays two sets so it's over.

I'm happy that I managed to stay there on court, as I say, to find a second energy, to win the first three-setter in three weeks.

Q. So you have had three finals in three weeks. How do your legs feel? Fatigued?
DANIIL MEDVEDEV: As I say, for example in the first set, playing against Novak, every tough exchange we had I thought, okay, I'm going to fall down. That's it. The match is finished.

But finally, after two hours on court and maybe a little bit less, I don't know the time of the match, I came out the winner. Running like crazy in the third set. I'm going to do the best job to be 100% tomorrow.

Q. Why do you think you were able to overcome those thoughts? Adrenaline or mentally?
DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Yeah, probably everything. I just knew that -- well, I need to try to win the match. So I took it game by game. I tried to win my service games with huge serves that I managed to make today.

As I said, one moment I felt my energy rising. I felt that Novak starts to miss a little bit, and, well, I was amazing today to just take it straightaway all the opportunities I had in the match.

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