Russian star Daniil Medvedev continued his blistering form to claim his maiden title at the prestigious Miami Open. Medvedev won his fourth title of 2023, registering an emphatic victory over Italy’s Jannik Sinner in Sunday’s summit clash. The Russian ace defeated Sinner 7-5, 6-3 in a hard-fought final to extend his record to 24-1 in his past five events on what has been a terrific run on hard courts. Fourth-seeded Medvedev pumped his fist after thrashing an unreturnable serve on match point to seal the win on a hot and humid day at Hard Rock Stadium in South Florida.
The former World No.1 played his fifth consecutive final after triumphs in Doha, Rotterdam, and Dubai before finishing runner-up to Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz at Indian Wells two weeks ago. Medvedev recorded his 19th career ATP title and his fifth in a Masters 1000 event, returning to the top four of the ATP rankings.
In the final, the 27-year-old Russian faced an opponent who is in the best form of his life. Sinner had upset World no.1 and defending champion Alcaraz in Friday’s semi-final, but the 21-year-old Italian struggled to find his best against the former U.S. Open champion. Medvedev proved to be a nightmare match-up for Sinner, continually putting pressure on his opponent’s inconsistent serve with his own precise serving while dampening the young Italian’s clean, destructive ball striking with his solid defense.
Sinner managed to score the first break of the opening set with a difficult drop volley, but the Russian broke back by showing his skills from the baseline and forcing the Italian to make errors. Medvedev showed his range to keep his opponent behind the baseline, ultimately putting the 10th seed down with his consistency and aggression.
Medvedev took control of the match after Sinner produced some sloppy groundstrokes. The Italian summoned the energy to break back for 1-2 in the second set, but only to see Medvedev re-establish his advantage at 3-1. Medvedev did not face a break point in the match after Sinner created five in the fifth game of set one. Finally, Medvedev won the final with little resistance.
I am really happy. Today was a tough match. It was probably the hottest day and the most humid during the day, Medvedev said after winning the title. I can handle myself and be calm on the court when I feel like it is a real hardcourt, Medvedev concluded with a smile.
