"Not over till the last point with you" - Daniil Medvedev jokes about fear of Andy Murray's comeback abilities during match point in Qatar Open final
Daniil Medvedev joked about being nervous while serving for the championship against Andy Murray, who saved eight match points en route to the Qatar Open final.
Daniil Medvedev won his second consecutive title at the Qatar Open in Doha after defeating three-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray in the final, 6-4, 6-4.
During the post-match interview, Medvedev was at his hilarious best when he joked about feeling the pressure during match point against Murray. The Brit made it a habit of securing wins from the brink of defeat during the tournament,
"I have a match point against Andy in Doha. That's not a good sign," Medvedev joked.
The 27-year-old praised Murray's resilience and grit to fight till the last point of the match.
"I knew its not over till the last point with you," he added.
Andy Murray was all praise for Medvedev and acknowledged the Russian's high level of play in the Qatar Open final. Despite the loss, Murray stated that he was proud of his performance and the effort that he and his team put in to reach the final.
“Daniil is one of my favourite players to watch and one of the best players on the Tour. It’s great for me to get that opportunity to play against someone of his level in a final again," Murray said.
"Definitely some things to work on, but I’m proud of my week and the work that me and my team have put in to get me back to this stage,” he added.
Daniil Medvedev wins his 17th ATP title in Doha
Daniil Medvedev won his 17th ATP tour-level title at the Qatar Open, a week after lifting the trophy at the ABN AMRO Open in Rotterdam. He became the first player to win consecutive singles titles during the 2023 season.
During the post-match press conference, the former World No. 1 said that the victory in Rotterdam helped him gain momentum that propelled him to the win in Doha. He added that he was going to endeavor to keep the momentum going for as long as he could.
“I started to play really good. Serve better, move better. Today it was tough for Andy to put the balls through me many times, and now the question is [if it] can continue. I’m going to try as long as I can,” he said.
Daniil Medvedev expressed his happiness at playing against a legend like Murray in the Qatar Open final. He described the experience of playing against top players like Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer as amazing and highlighted the great atmosphere that it creates.
"So just, yeah, was just happy to see Andy on the other side of the net because he's such a legend. It's every time I play against him, Novak, Roger, well, not anymore, Rafa, it's just amazing feeling. It's amazing atmosphere all the time. I was happy to share this final with him," Medvedev said.
Daniil Medvedev and Andy Murray will be back in action at the Dubai Tennis Championships scheduled to begin on February 27.