Andrey Rublev joking about Daniil Medvedev's "kills you slowly" playstyle draws amused reaction from Denis Shapovalov
Andrey Rublev's humorous assessment of Daniil Medvedev's playstyle has drawn an amused reaction from Denis Shapovalov. Rublev had claimed that Medvedev "kills you slowly" while "enjoying the moment" during the course of an interview, which the Canadian concurred with.
The 26-year-old chose to contrast the speedy fashion with which Alcaraz got past his opponents as opposed to Medvevev who took his time to enjoy the moment.
Shapovalov posted "so accurate" on X (formerly Twitter) in response to Andrey Rublev's hilarious description of how he felt he was "dying little by little" while taking on his friend and compatriot.
"So accurate"
The Canadian, whose 2023 season came to an unfortunate halt following an injury sustained during the Wimbledon Championships, has played Medvedev on six occasions.
Shapovalov has managed to triumph only twice against the former World No. 1 who has notched up four wins against him. The 24-year-old beat Medvedev twice in a row when the two first squared off but has lost four on the trot since.
Andrey Rublev, who lost to Daniil Medvedev 6-4, 6-2 in his first group match at the ongoing ATP Finals, will face Carlos Alcaraz on Wednesday, November 15. The Spaniard went down fighting to Alexander Zverev 6-7 (3), 6-3, 6-4 in his opening match in Turin.
"I would say the more I play with him, the better I feel" - Andrey Rublev after losing to Daniil Medvedev in Turin
Andrey Rublev opined that he was not able to use his serve to open the court against Daniil Medvedev as he began his ATP Finals 2023 campaign with a defeat against his countryman. Speaking after the match, Rublev said:
"The feeling was that as soon as we had a rally, I was playing well and I had great chances. I was not able to use my serve really well to open the court. When he had important moments, I think almost all the break points he saved with a good serve"
The fifth seed, who is now 2-7 in career head-to-head numbers against Daniil Medvedev, was candid enough to admit that he is now more familiar with the 27-year-old's playing style compared to their early meetings.
"I would say the more I play with him, the better I feel, because I start to get used to those things and get less crazy compared to our first matches. The more I play with him, the more it gets normal for me that it's coming one extra ball, one extra ball. But in the end, today was quite easy for him," he added.
Daniil Medvedev, who leads the Red Group, will take on Alexander Zverev on Tuesday night in Turin.
While Medvedev and Zverev are both seeking a second ATP Finals title, Alcaraz and Rublev are aiming to win the year-end competition for the first time in their careers.