D. MEDVEDEV/T. Paul
1-6, 7-6, 6-2
THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.
Q. Daniil, what do you think went wrong for you in the first set and how were you able to turn things around?
DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Tommy just showed everyone how to beat me, how to play on the lines, full power. As soon as he had that one shot you have to go down the line, on the line, go to the net, play half volley, dropshot with a backspin, and it's good you can beat me, and make winners on the first serve.
He was playing pretty unbelievable, and I didn't know what to do, so the only thing I can do is try to continue to search for solutions. I played good also, but he had a little bit of a down moment in the beginning of the second set, which gave me some confidence and some time to see more what I can do. Very cold conditions, tough to hold the serve.
I'm happy in the end I managed to find solutions and let's say break through his excellent game tonight.
Q. How do you think the delay affected you today? Do you think that might have contributed to the slow start?
DANIIL MEDVEDEV: You never know exactly. Because I remember last year in Rome we had this crazy with Tsitsipas where we went on 10 minutes, out, one hour 10 minutes, and I felt like I was ready for this better than him.
Today, me personally, I don't think the delay had anything to do with the first set, but we never know. Maybe. But him the delay played good on him.
But, yeah, I'm happy I managed to come through such a tough opponent, playing good today.
Q. Well done. So I think it was in September that you said if you're going to beat Carlos you have to play 10 out of 10. Played 11 out of 10, 13 out of 10, whatever you described it as. Then you beat him again in Turin.
DANIIL MEDVEDEV: No.
Q. Okay. I'm missing that one.
DANIIL MEDVEDEV: No problem.
Q. Do you still feel that you have to play a perfect match against him? Is that a healthy way to go into a match against someone, to think you have to play perfectly?
DANIIL MEDVEDEV: I think it is, because that's how I went to the match with Sinner in Australian Open final. I knew last three times he beat me, and I knew if I want to win I have to go there, give my all, 11 out of 10, 20 out of 10, whatever. That's the way I entered the match with Carlos in US Open, also.
I still feel this way, especially on this court, I think today he showed exactly why I personally think this court suits him perfectly. Little slow bounce from time to time to give him time, and he doesn't care about wind here and that the ball doesn't travel through the air.
Sometimes it's tough to make a passing shot here because the ball in the air kind of continues flying so it can go out but it loses space in there. That's what happens with the serve. Because sometimes you can see Tommy doing 135 and I would return it because it loses pace through the air. His ball doesn't. So big advantage.
If I want to win, I will try to see what can I do tactically, but then I have to go there, a little bit like Tommy did today, try to play on the line, try to hit some amazing shots, get into his head, and try to win like this, yeah.
Q. How did you spend the delay today?
DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Oh, I was just in the lounge, I think, what was it? I had like at 1:00 thinking the match could be around 3:30, and then I was just waiting. Actually slept a little bit, woke up, I was, like, 2-1 still? I saw the rain. Then was just waiting. Not a big fan of golf but I'm watching, they show it on every channel. So I'm really into the Players now. I'm watching it closely.
Went to eat again and just relaxed. I do it all the time. I feel like it works well with me just to relax. Then the moment when the match was closing, close to finish, I go to warm up.
Q. In tonight's match we saw Tommy Paul get his ankle taped between the second and third. Did you sense that he was moving differently in the third set or...
DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Yeah, I don't know exactly what he has, because I saw him in the physio room before the match. I mean, it's better to ask him. I don't want to, you never know if it's private or not.
You never know. I think tough to say. I don't know exactly what he had.
When I saw it, the only thing I thought is, like, okay, maybe there is some trouble. What I have to do is just continue, be consistent. Make him play long rallies, stuff like this.
Yeah, better to ask him if he was in trouble or not. For me, it would be too tough to answer. I just try to play my game.
Q. Sounds like you were certainly impressed with his play tonight. Is it something you have seen him grow over the last two, three years?
DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Yeah, I mean, we played one time long ago and then in Beijing I think he was really jet lagged with Laver Cup. I mean, the match was not ideal from his side, and I managed to win easy. Don't even count it too much.
So for sure I saw him play on TV, and I know how he plays. I think today he was playing a bit differently, but again, that's for sure the way he went into the match. He maybe thought, okay, if he plays the way he's playing, maybe thought I'm going to beat him. So he tried to do something different.
I want to say from my side, like, I'm okay with it, but he played so good I couldn't do much. Yeah, if he plays like this, you know, he's been close to top 10 already long time, so he can for sure beat many guys and get into top 10 and stuff like this. Because semis in the Masters, some points, semis in Acapulco, some points, if he continues this way, he can grow his ranking.
Q. This is like the one part of the season that doesn't lead directly into a Grand Slam. How does that make this different in terms of how players approach it, and what's the key to sort of doing well during this swing here?
DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Yeah, really tough for me to answer. Because before Wimbledon 2023, I was never thinking too much about Grand Slam, Masters, ATP 500. I was just, you know, trying to play my best every tournament. Try to win it, et cetera. Then Roland Garros, I lost first round. And I was like on grass, I really wanted to have my thoughts on Wimbledon.
So the tournaments before, I wanted to win them, but I was playing different tactics, different shots, what can I do to be better at Wimbledon. I managed to do it but because my mind was so focused on Wimbledon, I think I could have played some matches worse, in Halle, 's-Hertogenbosch.
So I would say kind of the same about US Open. I really wanted to do well in US Open, thinking how good I did in Wimbledon, focusing on the Grand Slam. Montreal, Toronto, Cincinnati, I lost against great players, they played a great match, but I felt like my mind was there.
But at the same time, I want to try to find this balance where I'm not thinking only about the Grand Slams. It's four tournaments in a year. I want to try to win more than just Grand Slams. I want to try to play good in other tournaments.
I'm happy that here I managed to do it and it's not a Grand Slam but I managed to stay focused, fight till the end, and yeah, try to win it.
I don't have an exact answer to your question, to be honest. I'm just trying my best all the time. Sometimes my best is very good. Sometimes it's not. Let's hope tomorrow it's going to be very good (smiling).
Q. Tommy mentioned earlier in the week he's been watching a lot of old tennis matches, like Edberg, Henman. Curious if you have ever gone that far back in the time limit? Any players from the past that really inspire you?
DANIIL MEDVEDEV: I don't really, because first of all, I don't really watch tennis when I'm not in the tournament. When I'm at the tournament, I watch a lot of tennis but from this tournament to kind of stay in the atmosphere of the tournament.
So I didn't really watch too many old matches. I think when I was young I watched more. But it's funny, because today he played a little bit old style, return volleys, serve and volleys, sometimes going to the net on even not the best approach shots.
Maybe it helps him. Who knows, maybe I should do it, too. Stefan Edberg style. He even tried to do one passing with the... (smiling). If it helps him, he should do it more, for sure.
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