(Halle) Two finals in a row on grass, it seems ideal as preparation for Wimbledon. But Daniil Medvedev will not be able to play at the All England Club this season.
Posted at 11:26
Medvedev, the world’s No. 1 player, defeated local favorite Oscar Otte 7-6(3), 6-3 on Saturday to reach the final of the Halle grass-court tournament, a week after being runners-up in ‘s-Hertogenbosch.
Otte got a set point on serve at 5-3 in the first set, but Medvedev turned things around by breaking his rival’s serve and forcing a tiebreaker.
The 26-year-old Russian will cross swords in the final on Sunday with the winner of the duel between Nick Kyrgios and Hubert Hurkacz.
The Wimbledon tournament will start on June 27 without Medvedev and any other Russian or Belarusian player. The tournament organizers banned them in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. However, no points in the standings will be distributed during the tournament.
That didn’t stop Medvedev from finding his way to grass. He is 6-1 on that surface this season. His only loss came in the final at ‘s-Hertogenbosch last week, when he was stunned by 205-ranked Tim van Rijthovene in the world.
The decision not to award points at Wimbledon works in favor of Medvedev, who only reached the fourth round of the prestigious tournament last year. He therefore loses fewer undefended points than the winner of the tournament, Novak Djokovic.