Washington Open 2019, Final: Nick Kyrgios vs Daniil Medvedev, Preview and Predictions
After a week of competitive performances with players giving everything on the court, we have two men squaring off in the mouthwatering final clash between World number 52- the hot-headed and entertaining Nick Kyrgios, who will go up against the consistent Daniil Medvedev in the summit clash of the 2019 Washington Open.
Kyrgios overcame a spirited Stefanos Tsitsipas in a firecracker of a semifinal that saw everything from racquet smashing, point deduction, boos from the crowd and Kyrgios seeking advice from a spectator.
Medvedev, on the other hand, had an easier path as he trounced the giant-killing lucky loser Peter Gojowczyk in straight sets 6-2 6-2. Gojowczyk had beat top seeds and high profile players like Milos Raonic and Kyle Edmund before reaching the semifinals.
Medvedev has played some impressive tennis and has not dropped a set yet. He put up some stupendous performances against Frances Tiafoe and Marin Cilic before a thoroughly dominating one-sided win against Gojowczyk. His effective game strategy has been to engage his opponents in long and tiring rallies before delivering the killer punch to grab the points.
Kyrgios's game is the exact opposite of Medvedev. He prefers to play short rallies and finishing off his games fast. His serve, a major weapon of his has brought with it 92 aces in five matches in the tournament which will be a major feature to watch out for.
Kyrgios has to keep his emotions in control especially against a tough opponent like Medvedev as a small slip up could lead to him finishing on the losing side.
Nick Kyrgios loves playing on hard courts and that was evident when he took out four big names like Rafael Nadal, Stanislas Wawrinka, John Isner and Alexander Zverev in a row to clinch the Acapulco Open title in 2019.
Daniil Medvedev himself has claimed 30 wins this year, 7 wins in his last nine matches and will look to back himself against a temperamental and unpredictable Kyrgios. Both players will be gunning to win their second title of the season as a confidence booster ahead of the North American hard-court swing in the Rogers Cup, Cincinnati Open and US Open.
Kyrgios leads the head to head record 1-0 when he won his previous encounter against Medvedev in Rome, in a clinical 3-set domination.
Prediction- Nick Kyrgios to win in 3 sets