New Delhi: Young Serbian tennis player Hamad Medjedovic made a massive upset by rallying past former World No.1 Daniil Medvedev with smooth sailing in straight sets 6-3, 6-2 to reach the final of the Open 13 (Marseille Open) on Saturday.
The 21-year-old Serbian Medjedovic, who was ranked 94th in the world at the start of the week, took only 72 minutes to knock out the World No.8 Medvedev out from the title race. The sensational win was powered by seven aces and saved three of the five break points.
This was Medjedovic’s first win against a top 10 ranked tennis player to make his second final appearance in the ATP Tour circuit after qualifying in the final in his home tournament in Belgrade in November last year.
“I think I played one of my best matches of the week. I am really happy. I delivered on my tactics, had a great performance and I am really happy to be through,” the youngster said after the match.
He has now won 16 out of 19 matches across all levels of ATP Tour events and the Serbian will next face Ugo Humbert of France in the final. Humbert won against Belgium’s Zizou Bergs 6-4, 6-4 in the semifinal match, inching closer to defend his title in the French city.
The Djokovic connection
Hamad Medjedovic has been financially backed by 24-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic. The player and his father Eldin Medjedovic have publicly affirmed the big contributions of the Serbian tennis ace in his journey to professional tennis. Right from covering travel expenses for tours to taking care of the coaching expenses, Hamad has the back of his compatriot, who is a global icon.
“Novak Djokovic’s been helping me out financially,” Medjedovic previously explained. “Giving me whatever I need for my career. He covered it all. He just helped me out when I needed it and [is] still helping me out in all types of ways. I’m glad he’s there for me.”
The World No.7 Djokovic has supported many promising tennis players from his country and Medjedovic is one among them. He started the Novak Tennis Center in Belgrade 16 years ago to support and groom players like Medjedovic. A title on Sunday will not only boost his confidence but also show faith in Djokovic’s belief.
Hamad Medjedovic pulled off a major upset, defeating former World No. 1 Daniil Medvedev in straight sets at the Marseille Open semifinal. This win marks Medjedovic’s first victory against a top-10 player and secures his place in the final. Tennis Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
