"You wonder how in the world Daniil Medvedev lost a set in this match" - Pam Shriver on the Russian's performance against Hubert Hurkacz
Daniil Medvedev began his 2021 ATP Finals campaign with a convincing 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-4 win over tournament debutant Hubert Hurkacz on Sunday. The Russian was statistically dominant in most aspects of the game, leading many - including Pam Shriver - to wonder how he lost the first set.
Medvedev was close to flawless for most of the match, striking a whopping 32 winners which included 15 aces. Even more impressively, the 25-year-old conceded a mere eight unforced errors and didn't face a single break point. Medvedev also won 83% of his first-serve points in the contest.
But despite such a solid performance on paper, the World No. 2 dropped the opening set as Hurkacz put up an ultra-polished tiebreaker display. The Pole also hit 32 winners on the day, a major chunk of which came in the first set.
Speaking on Tennis Channel, Pam Shriver expressed amazement at Daniil Medvedev needing three sets to win even while playing inch-perfect tennis. The American also lauded Medvedev's comeback after dropping the first set, pointing out how he demonstrated his Grand Slam-winning pedigree.
"Which (when told of Daniil Medvedev's key statistical dominance) makes you wonder, how in the world did he lose a set in this match? Shows you how well Hurkacz played in that first set," Pam Shriver said. "I liked the way Medvedev turned things around as if he is a Major winner. Oh! He is! He's our US open champ."
6️⃣ straight wins at the ATP Finals for @DaniilMedwed. 💪
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Pam Shriver explains why Daniil Medvedev is a force to reckon with in indoor conditions
Daniil Medvedev is widely regarded as the best hardcourter on tour alongside Novak Djokovic. However, some fans reckon that Medvedev is slightly ahead of the Serb in indoor conditions, given how he dominated the surface in 2020 and seems to be doing the same this year.
The Russian won the Paris Masters and ATP Finals back-to-back in 2020, beating the likes of Alexander Zverev, Rafael Nadal, Dominic Thiem and Novak Djokovic en route.
When asked why Daniil Medvedev is such a force to reckon with in indoor conditions, Pam Shriver first stated that things are "easy" for the Russian. The 22-time doubles Slam champion further explained that Medvedev's mammoth serve and flat groundstrokes get more purchase on indoor courts.
Shriver further claimed the 25-year-old's success at the US Open was largely down to how similar the Arthur Ashe stadium is to an indoor court.
"Well I think it's so easy," Shriver said. "To me indoors with the serve, with the big game there's no worrying about anything from the sun and the wind. It's always so simple. We saw him at the US Open, which actually the stadium court there - the Arthur Ashe - actually plays a lot like an indoor court."
Daniil Medvedev takes the US Open crown and his first major win 👑
He defeats Novak Djokovic in straight sets, ending Djoker's chance at the calendar slam.
🎥 @usopen
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