Final in Australia has Nadal with record in sight and Medvedev favorite for the 1st time

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Awaited for years on the men’s circuit, the passing of the baton from the greatest generation of tennis players in history to their successors has happened gradually.

It started with timid signs, and it took Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer to be seriously threatened by younger players in Grand Slam tournaments.

It is true that these veterans are still – or were recently, in Federer’s case – in contention for the main trophies, but the important titles won by the younger ones and the great duels between them have become more and more frequent.

The Australian Open 2022 serves as a good example. Without the presence of favorite Djokovic, the tournament had memorable matches between young tennis players of different ages. For example, the five-set clashes between Carlos Alcaraz, 18, and Matteo Berrettini, 25, and between Felix Auger-Aliassime, 21, and Daniil Medvedev, 25.

Medvedev, who overturned a two-set deficit to Aliassime in the quarterfinals and then overcame another tense duel against Stefanos Tsitsipas, 23, in the semifinals, advanced to the decision in pursuit of his second consecutive Grand Slam title.

His opponent in the final, at 5:30 am on Sunday (Brasília time), broadcast on ESPN, will be Rafael Nadal. At 35, the Spaniard has a chance to break the tie for the men’s record for Grand Slam titles he currently shares with Djokovic and Federer: each of the three has 20.

It is emblematic that the Spaniard, owner of a single trophy in Melbourne lifted 12 years ago, does not arrive as the favorite this time around. He was in that position in the final of the 2019 US Open when Medvedev, in his first slam decision, managed to lead the game into a five-set battle before being bested.

It was Nadal’s penultimate achievement at that level. At the same time, the Russian has established itself among the best in the world. He was dominated by Djokovic in the final of the 2021 Australian Open, but he paid back in one of the most important matches of the Serbian’s career. His triumph at the last US Open prevented the number 1 from winning all four Slams in the same season and still breaking the record.

It is impossible to predict what the scenario would be if Djokovic were vaccinated against Covid-19 and able to participate normally in the Australian Open, but without him, Medvedev lived up to his role as the main candidate for the title.

By turning the tables against Aliassime and seeing Tsitsipas crumble in the fourth set, the runner-up in the rankings demonstrated a superiority rare for most, but typical of the trio of giants in the sport.

“I’m happy to have the chance to try to stop, once again, someone from making history,” said the Russian in reference to Nadal’s chance to claim his 21st trophy.

He recognizes, however, that he still needs to better control his emotions. Annoyed by Tsitsipas’s father and coach’s attempts to communicate with the player during the match, Medvedev lashed out at the chair referee for him to punish the Greek.

Screaming, he called Spaniard Jaume Campistol stupid and questioned how he could be so bad. After the game, the Russian apologized for the excess and said he is working to improve. He also cited Nadal as an example of someone who has impeccable behavior on the court.

On the way to his sixth final in Australia, the Spaniard completed a trajectory of overcoming. Absent from the tour since August last year to treat a chronic foot injury, he returned earlier this year with a title at the ATP 250 Melbourne.

There are already ten consecutive victories for Nadal. One of them was in five sets against Denis Shapovalov, 22, for the quarterfinals of the Slam. In addition to the young Canadian, he had to overcome dehydration and the loss of 4 kg that day.

The campaign serves as an injection of spirit for those who have seriously reflected on their continuity in the sport because of the pain and have started the season in disrepute, after contracting Covid-19 in December and going through difficult days with the disease.

“A few months ago, I didn’t imagine having another opportunity. Having reached this point, I’m excited to win. What I’ve experienced lately makes me look at things from a different perspective, but with the same competitiveness that is in my DNA”, he said. after beating Berrettini in the semifinals in four sets.

Nadal for now minimizes the trophy total. He prefers to value the joy of feeling competitive again and fighting for a great title after adversity.

Medvedev also has his chance to make history this Sunday. He could be the first tennis player to win his first two slams in a row in the professional era.

Two athletes with different styles, personalities and goals, Nadal and Medvedev show that generations do not need to quickly replace each other. Tennis wins with their coexistence at the top.

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