"My worst shot" - Daniil Medvedev discloses a key aspect of his game that he is aiming to elevate as he bids for Indian Wells title
Daniil Medvedev's scintillating form has been a sight to behold, with the Russian capturing three consecutive ATP singles titles since his early exit from the 2023 Australian Open.
With his victory over rising American star Brandon Nakashima in the second round of the Indian Wells Masters on Saturday, Medvedev continued to showcase his dominance on the court.
The Russian fired six aces in his 6-4, 6-3 win against Nakashima, extending his winning streak to 15. Medvedev's last loss came in the third round of the Melbourne Major at the hands of Sebastian Korda on January 20.
Speaking at the post-match press conference, the World No. 6 revealed what he thinks is his worst shot and said that he intends to elevate his game by focusing on improving that aspect.
"Improve, volley, for sure. I want to improve everything every day, but volley has to be better. Even today few volleys had to be better. That's something I work on a lot. Everyone, every player has his own, let's call it, style or, yeah, best shots. Volley is my worst shot."
Daniil Medvedev acknowledged that he can still execute the shot in tough matches, but wants to improve further.
"There are matches where I can -- you know, when I say "my worst shot," I still know how to do it. Even in the toughest matches and even let's say against Novak in US Open I was still at the net a few times, I could win some points, but that's something I for sure want to improve," Daniil Medvedev said.
The 2021 US Open winner also stated that every player has their own unique style and best shot, with his being the return from far positions.
"Do I like the most? I like kind of my return from far position, just because it's -- it's not unique. There are some other players that do it, but there are not a lot. Yeah, I like that this shot is, yeah, something not common, and I managed to do it well. So, yeah, I like it," Medvedev added.
Daniil Medvedev fancies winning the Indian Wells Masters title
Daniil Medvedev is optimistic about winning the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, which will be his fourth consecutive title of the year.
Speaking at the press conference, the Russian stated that he feels that he can win the title. Touching on his loss to Stefanos Tsitsipas at the 2021 French Open, Medvedev said that on his day, he is capable of winning any tournament in the world.
"I think I can win, honestly, I have to believe I can win anywhere. Roland Garros, I hope I can win it. I was one time in quarters and lost against Stefanos who played a great match, and that was a fight. I was serving for the set. I'm sure on a good day I can win any tournament in the world, because, well, I managed to win different ones many times," Daniil Medvedev said.
Medvedev, who is the fifth seed at the Indian Wells Masters, will next face compatriot Ilya Ivashka in the third round. The Russian is most likely to face Alexander Zverev in the fourth round of the event, followed by a clash with Casper Ruud in the quarterfinals.