(Turin) Russian Daniil Medvedev (world No.2) will defend his crown in the ATP Finals on Sunday after easily dismissing Norwegian Casper Ruud (N.8) 6-4, 6-2, in half. final Saturday in Turin.
Medvedev, 25, winner last year for the first time in this tournament bringing together the best eight players of the season at the end of the year, will face in the final world No. 1 Novak Djokovic or Olympic champion Alexander Zverev (No. .3), who will meet in the evening in the second semi-final.
Against Casper Ruud, 22, a surprise guest from the last four for his first participation in the ATP Finals, Medvedev was never really worried. The Russian did not concede a single break point and dictated the tempo of his great forehands which regularly put Ruud to the test on the ultra-fast surface of Turin.
PHOTO GUGLIELMO MANGIAPANE, REUTERS
Casper ruud
Even if he managed to find a little more relaxation at the start of the second set to try to turn things around, as on Friday during his decisive victory against Andrey Rublev (N.5), Ruud this time fell to a wall.
The new breakage conceded at 2-2, on a third break point after having already saved two, knocked him out for good. The Norwegian will still have to wait to drop a member of the top 4 (eight defeats in eight attempts).
Medvedev won his ninth straight match at the ATP Finals, scoring the five from last year that took him to the final victory in London. And always in two sets against the Norwegian, as in their two previous confrontations (once on hard, another on grass).
“I think Ruud is one of the smartest players on the tour, and this year he’s made it to the semi-finals for his first appearance. Me, during my first participation, I had lost my first three games. I’m happy to have broken it at the right time, ”commented the Russian hot after this controlled victory.
With this meeting folded in less than 1:20, he spent little energy and can now calmly wait for the winner of the evening’s duel between Djokovic and Zverev.
“It will be a great game, but I will watch it on TV to rest and give my best tomorrow,” he commented.
If he finds Djokovic, it would be their fourth meeting of the year, all in the final, after the Australian Open (victory for “Nole), the United States Open (victory for the Russian) and the Masters 1000 in Paris. (victory of the Serbian).