Nitto ATP Finals 2020: Daniil Medvedev vs Diego Schwartzman preview, head-to-head & prediction
Match details
Fixture: Daniil Medvedev vs Diego Schwartzman
Date: 20 November 2020
Tournament: Nitto ATP Finals 2020
Round: Round-robin stage
Venue: London, United Kingdom
Category: ATP Finals
Surface: Indoor hardcourt
Prize money: $5,700,000
Match timing: Not before 8 pm GMT, 1.30 am IST (21 November)
Live telecast: USA - ESPN / Tennis Channel | India - Sony / Sony Liv
Daniil Medvedev vs Diego Schwartzman preview
Daniil Medvedev sealed his place in the semis of the 2020 Nitto ATP Finals after handily beating World No. 1 Novak Djokovic 6-3, 6-3. The Russian's win meant that his next opponent - Diego Schwartzman - has been knocked out of the tournament.
As such, their match on Friday is all but a dead rubber, with Medvedev also having secured the top spot in the group. Nevertheless, there are still 200 ranking points and a decent amount of prize money up for grabs, making this worth a fight for both players.
Medvedev was in top form against Djokovic, overwhelming the World No. 1 with his relentless baseline consistency. The Russian was not only retrieving everything, he was also turning defense into attack at just the right moments, giving the Serb a taste of his own medicine.
Medvedev has also been serving exceptionally well so far in London, having been broken just the one time - in the very first game of his match against Alexander Zverev.
For Diego Schwartzman, the maiden foray into the ATP Finals has been disappointing to say the least. Not known for his hardcourt prowess, the Argentine has remained true to type and has failed to register a win so far.
But there is still pride at stake for Schwartzman, so he will undoubtedly be looking to make one final push against Medvedev. As things stand, the Russian will face one of Rafael Nadal or Stefanos Tsitsipas in the semis on Saturday.
Daniil Medvedev vs Diego Schwartzman head-to-head
Daniil Medvedev leads Diego Schwartzman 4-0 in the head-to-head. The two have played twice before on indoor hardcourt, with the Russian winning both encounters in straight sets.
One of those was at the recent Paris Masters, where Medvedev thrashed Schwartzman 6-3, 6-1 in the quarterfinals.
Daniil Medvedev vs Diego Schwartzman prediction
Even though Daniil Medvedev has secured qualification to the semis and the top spot, he is unlikely to get complacent. The Russian will not want to lose any of his rhythm or momentum, especially towards the business end of the tournament.
That said, with less than 24 hours between his match against Schwartzman and his semifinal, Medvedev might look to adopt a more aggressive approach and try to end points quickly. That is likely to play in his favor too, given that his serve is far superior to that of Schwartzman’s.
The Argentine has been struggling on his delivery in the indoor conditions so far. It looks unlikely that his misery will end against Medvedev, whose return game has been on the money.
Prediction: Daniil Medvedev to win in straight sets.