The match had all the characteristics of a classic, particularly after an impressive initial set of the two men, but the number 1 in the Serbian world soon put its foot down and got a victory by 7-5 6-2 6 -2 in less than two hours.
The win secures a ninth Australian Open title to extend the record for Djokovic, who is now just two grand slams behind the historic record of 20 held jointly by Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.
Based on today’s performance, there will be very few bets against him until an equal (or perhaps even surpassed) day on that scoreboard.
While the match itself may have ended up being a bit anti-climatic, the post-match interviews were nothing and showed the deep respect and admiration these two players have.
“Just to tell you a little story, guys,” Medvedev said. “I first practiced with Novak when he was 500 in the world or 600 in the world in Monaco and he was already number 1 in the world, he had just won Wimbledon. I thought, ‘Okay, he won’t talk to me’ or something. so because the boy was a god to me.
“I came there and because I was shy, I didn’t talk, so he asked me questions, he talked to me like a friend. He surprised me a lot and never changed since I was 600 in the world or four in the world. great sport and a great person, so congratulations “.
Djokovic replied: “I would like to return the good words to Daniil. First of all, a class act. You are a great guy, a great person … Before we spent more time together, we used to practice more in Monaco – – No more call me the last few years! But it’s nice to see you’re thinking good things about me, thank you very much.
“I really like Daniil as a person off the court. He’s fantastic, always very kind, very outgoing, but he’s definitely one of the toughest players I’ve ever seen on my court. It’s only a matter of time before go celebrate a grand slam for sure … but if you don’t mind wait a few more years “.
No change of guard
This was a fascinating clash between intergenerational talents, with Djokovic, 33, representing the old tennis guard, and Medvedev, 25, the rising stars hoping to one day dethrone the Serb and his teammates.
According to the final on Sunday, that day still seems a long way off.
Arriving at the match, Medvedev had reason to trust. The world number 4 won 20 games and is only the sixth active player to achieve the feat, joining Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and Juan Martin del Potro.
But Djokovic looked compelling from the start, breaking Medvedev in his opening serve and staying twice as easy with his position to advance 3-0. However, playing only in his second grand slam final compared to Djokovic’s 28th, Medvedev’s first nerves soon dissipated and he quickly adjusted to his pace.
The turning point in the early stages came when the pair exchanged an impressive 28-shot rally, with Djokovic throwing his last shot into the back of the net to give away the Russian breaking point. Medvedev capitalized properly with an impressive defensive play to force Djokovic into another error and the first set was soon over.
A few minutes earlier, it felt like the Serb escaped with the initial set, but suddenly the momentum was with Medvedev.
The pair went from foot to foot until Medvedev served to stay in the set at 5-6. As he does so many times at crucial moments, Djokovic increased his gait, finding extra length and power on his returns to break his rival’s service and close out a hard-fought opening set.
This was the eighth encounter between these two great hitters, with Djokovic facing head to head 4-3, and he had every chance of being his best match so far.
However, after Medvedev seemed to recover well from that early disappointment in breaking Djokovic in the opening game of the second set, he soon collapsed and in a three and nothing was left two sets.
There seemed to be very little the world number 4 could do to prevent the attack and Medvedev’s racket carried the weight of his frustration as he crushed her to the ground on Rod Laver’s court.
While Medvedev certainly has the talent to compete with Djokovic (in fact, an impressive throw in the third set drew applause even from his opponent), he still seems to lack the necessary experience and mental endurance in the adverse moments of the Grand Slam finals.
With Medvedev’s merit, he was eager to go down hard and make impressive ground kicks as Djokovic tried to close out the game.
However, the world number 1 proved he was one level above Sunday’s opponent and closed out any late hopes that Medvedev could have won with a wave of impressive shots.