Daniil Medvedev came from a set down to defeat Rafael Nadal 3-6,7-6,6-3 in the semifinals of the Nitto ATP Finals 2020 and reach the finals of the year ending event for the first time. Earlier in the day, Dominic Thiem edged out the world number 1 in a 3 set thriller to enter the finals of the event for the 2nd consecutive time.
In what was a night to remember for the young guns of the tennis world, the NextGen stamped its authority in the tennis stratosphere to guarantee us a new champion in the history of the ATP Finals.
World number 3 Thiem and world number 4 Daniil Medvedev will now battle for the elusive title tonight.
Nadal’s wait continues-
Rafael Nadal had qualified for the tournament for the 16th consecutive time but yet again success eluded him.
The 20-time Grand Slam winner claimed a tense opening set against the Russian, a player he had defeated in their previous three ATP Head2Head encounters, and broke late in the second set to serve for the match, leading 5-4. A victory would have put him one step closer to claiming the only Big Title that has eluded him after 10 appearances.
Also read: Resurgent Rafa-Nadal defeats Tsitsipas to keep his hopes alive at ATP Finals 2020
But Medvedev made Nadal wait a little longer, as he broke back to love and turned the match on its head to reach his first final at the season-finale.
Peaking exactly when he needed to 💪
🎥: @TennisTV | @DaniilMedwed | #NittoATPFinalspic.twitter.com/CrpU2tjvMY
— ATP Tour (@atptour) November 21, 2020
First win over Nadal, first final in London 👏@DaniilMedwed completes an incredible 3-6, 7-6(4), 6-3 comeback!#NittoATPFinals pic.twitter.com/GgT5wPLAeL
— ATP Tour (@atptour) November 21, 2020
“I feel I played a bad game. Of course, you are nervous to win the match. But not [only] me, everybody. [It] is normal to have the tension. I think he played some good points and I made a couple of mistakes.
“Small details make a big difference. Just well done for him and not enough good for me,” said Nadal in the post-match interview.
.@ThiemDomi came back from 0-4 down in the deciding set tiebreak to make the final 🤯 #NittoATPFinals pic.twitter.com/tn5etfix7h
— ATP Tour (@atptour) November 21, 2020
Thiem’s class, Novak’s agony-
Earlier in the day, in a rollercoaster of a match, Dominic Thiem thoroughly outclassed Novak Djokovic to register his third victory in the last 5 games versus the world number 1.
After winning the first set in a tiebreak, the 2019 runner-up failed to convert four match points in a dramatic second-set tie-break but held his nerve to rally in a final-set tie-break against Djokovic at The O2 for the second straight year. Thiem’s victory was his 300th at tour-level and his fifth against a World No. 1.
THIEM RETURNS TO THE FINAL!
With his 300th career win, 🇦🇹 @ThiemDomi beats Djokovic 7-5, 6-7(10), 7-6(5) to make it back-to-back finals at the #NittoATPFinals 👏 pic.twitter.com/WTQgx6jDYP
— ATP Tour (@atptour) November 21, 2020
“It was for sure a mental battle. I got so tight in the second-set tie-break because to play these legends is always going to be something special,” said Thiem in an on-court interview.
Thiem has now become just the second player to have at least 5 wins against each of “the Big Three”, a feat that until now only Andy Murray had achieved.
The Nitto ATP Finals decider will take place at London’s O2 arena at 18:00 GMT.
It all comes down to this! Who will take the title? 🏆@DaniilMedwed | @ThiemDomi | #NittoATPFinals pic.twitter.com/PlENOq7HGF
— ATP Tour (@atptour) November 21, 2020
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