Daniil Medvedev ends Novak Djokovic’s unbeaten run in 2023 with victory at Dubai Tennis Championships

Daniil Medvedev showed he will be a serious force in the Grand Slams he is allowed to contest this year after meting out a first defeat of 2023 on Novak Djokovic.

Djokovic arrived at the Dubai Tennis Championships as the world No. 1 and the winner of the opening major of the season at the Australian Open.

He made a strong start to his quest for a sixth title in Dubai, but bumped into an opponent who soaked up his opponent’s power and countered with his own to secure a 6-4 6-4 win.

Djokovic made an extremely strong start to the match on serve, winning his opening eight points without reply.

Medvedev was also solid on serve with a couple of strong holds, albeit he needed an ace in the fourth game to fend off the threat of Djokovic who wowed the crowd with a blistering backhand down the line.

After being so strong on serve for the first couple of games, it came as a surprise when the Australian Open champion showed frailty – and it was seized upon by Medvedev.

Djokovic missed a couple of first serves in the fifth game as Medvedev got a foothold for the first time in the match. A surprise decision to serve and volley at 30-30 handed a break point to Medvedev, and the Serbian was fortunate to fend it off as his opponent chased down a drop shot but flicked it into the tramlines.

Medvedev’s movement was excellent. He chased down a drop shot with ease and swatted away the bunted return at the net for a second break point. And a weak slice from Djokovic into the net handed the Russian the break.

Medvedev’s easy power pushed Djokovic around the court, and he also showed supreme touch with a drop shot that helped back up the break.

Djokovic missed a smash and then sent a volley into the tramlines, as his game continued to misfire. He continued to serve and volley, and it continued to hurt him as on break point he sent a simple backhand volley into the net to hand his opponent a double break.

After looking so strong, Medvedev threw in a horrible game to allow Djokovic to get one of the breaks back.

A love hold from Djokovic ramped up the pressure on a man he had beaten four times in a row, but Medvedev found a couple of booming serves to close out the opening set in 40 minutes.

Despite losing the opening set, Djokovic picked up a bit of momentum towards the end of it. So it came as a shock when he was picked off again at the start of the second.

A brilliant in-to-out forehand earned Medvedev a break point and he soaked up some fierce hitting from Djokovic, who coughed up the break when sending a forehand inches beyond the baseline.

Medvedev began to feel the heat on serve in the fourth game of the second set, but he fended off a big challenge and then saw his Serbian opponent fire a forehand way over the baseline to gift the hold to the 2021 US Open champion.

There was controversy at the start of the sixth game of the second set, as Medvedev was called for a foot fault. The call came a split-second before Medvedev struck the ball, and was overturned by the umpire. That decision incensed Djokovic, who became involved in a lengthy argument with the official – as Medvedev also waded into the debate.

Djokovic stepped things up in the sixth game, perhaps feeding off the confrontation with the official, but Medvedev fended it off by winning a series of clutch points, including arguably the point of the week as both players scampered round the court and ended it at the net when the Russian reached and put away a half-volley.

The world No. 1 kept pushing, but Medvedev refused to wilt and found a string of big serves to hold in a huge eighth game – which put him one away from victory.

Djokovic held serve in the ninth despite a couple of wayward forehands, to put the pressure on the shoulders of his opponent.

Medvedev brought up the match point by reaching a drop shot he appeared to have no right to get to, and closed out his fifth career win over Djokovic with a booming forehand.

The Russian is riding a wave of good form at the moment, victory over Djokovic was his 13th win in a row, and he will take on his fellow countryman Andrey Rublev in the final, who beat Alexander Zverev 6-3 7-6(9).

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