Daniil Medvedev defied the odds and a superb performance from Alex De Minaur en route to winning his first ever ATP tour title at the Sydney International.
Medvedev dropped the opening set 6-1 and this final had a De Minaur win written all over it.
But to the Russian’s credit, Medvedev turned the game around and produced some clutch plays in vital moments to get over the line against an opponent who never said die despite being 4-0 down in the third set at one stage.
It was a roller coaster of a match but in the end, Medvedev and Kerber are your men’s and women’s Sydney International champions.
The big show however gets underway next week at the Australian Open and Medvedev will face another Aussie in the first round – Kokkinakis.
De Minaur meanwhile faces a big test against last year’s Wimbledon semi-finalist Tomas Berdych.
Final score
Daniil Medvedev 1 6 7
Alex De Minaur 6 4 5
Aussie Alex De Minaur will look to cap off a dream run at the Sydney International by defeating rising star Daniil Medvedev en route to claiming his first ATP tour title. Join The Roar for live scores and commentary from 7pm AEDT.
The Australian summer of tennis has been one to remember for De Minaur, who now finds himself just one win away from claiming his first ATP tour title at the tender age of 18.
It has been a truly remarkable rise for the young Australian, who has shown great technique and poise under pressure to leave some established rivals in his wake en route to today’s final.
Now, De Minaur faces a fascinating test of sorts, coming up against another rising star in Medvedev, who headlines a list of very promising Russian players coming through the ranks.
Medvedev, at 21 years of age, has some notable wins already under his belt, defeating Stan Wawrinka last year at the Wimbledon championships in the first round. He also made an ATP tour final in Chennai where he lost to the tough Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut.
Despite his talent, Medvedev is also prone to losing his temper on occasion, as demonstrated by his poor form after his defeat in the second round at Wimbledon.
On that occasion, Medvedev was handed three fines totalling $14,500 for his conduct during the match with Bemelmans – a total of $7,000 for insulting the umpire on two occasions and a further $7,500 for throwing coins under the umpire’s chair.
Such conduct reveals Medvedev’s frail mental nature when placed under pressure, and it is something that De Minaur should exploit with his tenacious game tonight backed by a vocal home crowd.
Prediction
De Minaur three-set in his three set victory over Benoit Paire but should be expected to raise his game tonight in the biggest match of his young career. Medvedev certainly has the firepower to trouble De Minaur but the young Aussie has shown a willingness to knuckle down and fight against opponents who are not as tenacious on court.
With that in mind, De Minaur is difficult to tip against here and one expects the young Aussie to finish the job and end a great week on a great high.
De Minaur in three sets
Alan
Roar Guru
Medvedev defies the odds and a superb performance from De Minaur en route to winning his first ever ATP tour title at the Sydney International. Medvedev dropped the opening set 6-1 and this final had a De Minaur win written all over it. But to the Russian's credit, Medvedev turned the game around and produced some clutch plays in vital moments to get over the line against an opponent who never said die despite being 4-0 down in the third set at one stage. It was a roller coaster of a match but in the end, Medvedev and Kerber are your men's and women's Sydney International champions. The big show however gets underway next week at the Australian Open and Medvedev will face another Aussie in the first round - Kokkinakis. De Minaur meanwhile faces a big test against last year's Wimbledon semi-finalist Tomas Berdych. Plenty to look forward next week so stay tuned right here on The Roar for more live commentary. Medvedev 1 6 7 De Minaur 6 4 5
Alan
Roar Guru
Three championship points. Another clutch wide serve. De Minaur nets the slice. Its over! GAME SET AND MATCH MEDVEDEV Medvedev 1 6 7 De Minaur 6 4 5
Alan
Roar Guru
30-0 courtesy of a great serve Medvedev 1 6 6 De Minaur 6 4 5
Alan
Roar Guru
De Minaur nets the forehand. Ouch. 15-0 Medvedev 1 6 6 De Minaur 6 4 5
Alan
Roar Guru
De Minaur once again producing some great defence from the back of the court. Djokovic would be proud but De Minaur unfortunately nets the easiest shot of the rally as he nets the forehand. Medvedev to serve again for the championship Medvedev 1 6 6 De Minaur 6 4 5
Alan
Roar Guru
BREAK MEDVEDEV Medvedev 1 6 6 De Minaur 6 4 5
Alan
Roar Guru
Composure from Medvedev as he comes in and puts away the volley. Break point Medvedev 1 6 5 De Minaur 6 4 5
Alan
Roar Guru
Poor unforced errors from Medvedev. Deuce. Medvedev 1 6 5 De Minaur 6 4 5
Alan
Roar Guru
30-40 Medvedev 1 6 5 De Minaur 6 4 5
Alan
Roar Guru
0-40 as Medvedev tightens his game again. Medvedev 1 6 5 De Minaur 6 4 5
Alan
Roar Guru
0-30 as De Minaur sends the backhand wide of the line... Medvedev 1 6 5 De Minaur 6 4 5
Alan
Roar Guru
Medvedev led the final set 4-0. Its now 5-5. De Minaur once again adds another chapter to a superb week. Can he finish Medvedev off now? 0-15 Medvedev 1 6 5 De Minaur 6 4 5
Alan
Roar Guru
BREAK DE MINAUR Medvedev 1 6 5 De Minaur 6 4 5
Alan
Roar Guru
15-40 Medvedev 1 6 5 De Minaur 6 4 4
Alan
Roar Guru
Medvedev rattled. He misses another forehand and its three break points for De Minaur! Medvedev 1 6 5 De Minaur 6 4 4
Alan
Roar Guru
De Minaur with great hustle as he hits the forehand winner and its 0-30. Crowd explodes! Medvedev 1 6 5 De Minaur 6 4 4
Alan
Roar Guru
Medvedev will feel the pressure as he sends the forehand wide of the line. 0-15. Medvedev 1 6 5 De Minaur 6 4 4
Alan
Roar Guru
31 shot rally ends with Medvedev producing the unforced error. Both players fighting to the end now. Keeping the ball in play. De Minaur holds! Medvedev will serve for the championship. Medvedev 1 6 5 De Minaur 6 4 4
Alan
Roar Guru
Deuce Medvedev 1 6 5 De Minaur 6 4 3
Alan
Roar Guru
Game point De Minaur Medvedev 1 6 5 De Minaur 6 4 3