A LOOK BACK
Cassis Open Provence (Cassis, France): To say Jo-Wilfried Tsonga turned in an efficient week in Cassis would be an understatement. The Frenchman did not drop a set all tournament, culminating in a 6-1, 6-0 rout of Dudi Sela for the title on Sunday. At just 43 minutes, it was the shortest completed final in ATP Challenger Tour history.

At the age of 34, Tsonga is targeting a return to his Top 10 form in his comeback from a knee injury. The World No. 65 has now won two titles on home soil this year, adding a Challenger crown in Cassis to his ATP 250 triumph at the Open Sud de France in Montpellier.

ATP Tour & ATP Challenger Tour Champions In 2019

AON Open Challenger (Genova, Italy): Sunday was a day that Lorenzo Sonego will never forget. In fact, neither will anyone who attended the final in Genova. Sonego successfully defended his crown at the prestigious clay-court Challenger, surviving 20-year-old Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-2, 4-6, 7-6(6) in two hours and 46 minutes.

But it was the drama of the day that will be talked about for years to come at the Valletta Cambiaso Park. After a five-hour rain delay, the championship finally kicked off just before midnight local time. After a hard-fought, high-octane battle, Sonego would eventually raise his arms in triumph at 1:29am. Not only did he fight off four break points at 3-4 in the third set, but he stormed back from 0/4 down in the deciding tie-break.

“It’s a great moment for me, for my career,” said Sonego. “To win the same tournament in the same place is not easy. I like being here in Genova and I love this tournament.”

World No. 49 Sonego is the first player to retain the Genova title in the 17-year history of the tournament. In going back-to-back, he joins Taylor Fritz (Newport Beach), Gregoire Barrere (Lille) and Pablo Andujar (Alicante) as repeat champions on the Challenger circuit this year.

Scenes at 1:30am ?

After a five-hour ?️ delay and nearly three hours on court, Lorenzo Sonego retains his Genova title 62 46 76(6).@challengergenoa pic.twitter.com/soJnAdIgtJ

— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) September 8, 2019

Oracle Challenger Series – New Haven (New Haven, Connecticut, USA): Men’s professional tennis returned to New Haven for the first time since 2010, as Tommy Paul clinched the title at the inaugural Oracle Challenger Series event on the campus of Yale University. From 2005-10, the city hosted the Pilot Pen International, an ATP 250 event, and this week it welcomed the Challenger circuit for the first time.

Paul streaked to his biggest title without dropping a set, capped with a 6-3, 6-3 win over countryman Marcos Giron on Sunday. The 22-year-old American will crack the Top 100 with the victory, his third on the ATP Challenger Tour and second this year. Also the champion on the clay of Sarasota, he rises 22 spots to a career-high No. 92 in the ATP Rankings.

Jinan Open (Jinan, China): China has its newest Challenger champion. His name is Zhang Zhizhen. At the age of 22, the Shanghai native claimed his maiden title on home soil in Jinan. He triumphed 7-5, 2-6, 6-4 over Go Soeda on Sunday, marking the conclusion of a magical week.

Zhang, an unseeded wild card, was sitting at No. 397 in the ATP Rankings when he entered the week in Jinan. He would rise a staggering 170 spots to a career-high No. 227, becoming the fourth Chinese winner in Challenger history. All four have come in the past four years, with Wu Yibing, Zhang Ze and Wu Di the previous champions.

A LOOK AHEAD
A total of six tournaments in three continents highlight this week’s slate. Guido Andreozzi is the defending champion at the Pekao Szczecin Open in Szczecin, Poland, with Albert Ramos-Vinolas, Marco Cecchinato and Philipp Kohlschreiber leading the charge.

At the 32nd edition of the Amex-Istanbul Challenger, Ugo Humbert leads the pack along with Marius Copil and Denis Istomin. And at the 29th edition of the Copa Sevilla, reigning titlist Kimmer Coppejans returns alongside top seed Jaume Munar.

In Shanghai, the Chinese swing continues with Prajnesh Gunneswaran leading the charge, while in Cary, North Carolina, Tommy Paul looks to go back-to-back on home soil. Andreas Seppi is the top seed there.

And in Banja Luka, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Robin Haase is the top seed, with Sumit Nagal also in the field. Just two weeks ago, Nagal battled Roger Federer on Arthur Ashe Stadium at the US Open, taking the first set in his Grand Slam debut.

Rafael Nadal has shown plenty of emotions throughout his legendary 18-year ATP Tour career, but they’ve rarely included tears. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house after the Spaniard prevailed in an epic US Open final on Sunday over Daniil Medvedev, with the 33-year-old sobbing in a mixture of delight and exhaustion when he clinched his fourth title in New York.

The tears even continued during the on-court ceremony. Nadal was overcome by emotion once more when a special video montage was shown on the jumbo screen that highlighted his past triumphs. He’s worked tirelessly throughout his career to overcome difficult injuries and painful defeats, but hadn’t seen the fruits of those efforts in one sitting until that moment.

“In some way that’s good [to] see all the things I went through. Being able to still be here is so special for me,” Nadal said. “I went through some tough moments, physically especially. When you have physical issues, then mentally things became much more difficult.

“The emotions were there watching all the success, all the moments… I tried to hold the emotion, but at some moments it was impossible. I’m just very happy. This trophy means everything to me today.”

Read More: How Rafa Beat Daniil

When a right knee injury forced Nadal to retire from last year’s US Open semi-final against Juan Martin del Potro and ultimately shut down his season, he remained unflinchingly positive. He applied the same attitude when his right knee also forced him to withdraw from his BNP Paribas Open semi-final this year against Roger Federer. Nadal shifted priorities and put his efforts into recovery, focussing only on what he could control.

“I needed to adapt my game to my problems and to my goals,” Nadal said. “When you lose things, you need to add another things to keep being competitive.”

Positivity his paid off for Nadal. He’s riding a 10-match winning streak and prevailed in 27 of his past 28 matches. The 33-year-old also has a hefty 1,690 point lead over Novak Djokovic in the ATP Race to London.

Although Nadal is currently on track to finish as year-end No. 1 for the fifth time, he’s remaining typically in the moment. He’ll compete next at Laver Cup before heading to Asia for the Rolex Shanghai Masters. But while Nadal can certainly pick up more ATP Tour titles this season if he maintains his current level, nearly two decades on Tour has enabled him to roll with whatever comes his way.

“You can’t predict what’s going to happen in this life,” Nadal said. “You need to be prepared to accept everything.”

Only three months ago, Daniil Medvedev was mired in a five-match losing streak. Four of those matches went to a deciding set, and the Russian was worrying about his results.

“Of course you can have fear, but it’s more when you are in the down moment, like I was this year once,” Medvedev said. “That’s when you have fear going out on the court. You’re like, ‘Am I going to lose again? Am I going to win or not?’”

But when the 23-year-old walked onto Arthur Ashe Stadium Sunday afternoon for the US Open final, those negative thoughts were out of his mind. Medvedev arrived in the championship match in the form of his career, winning 20 of his 22 North American summer hard-court matches leading into the final against World No. 2 Rafael Nadal. There was no pressure, just excitement at the prospect of potentially winning a Grand Slam title.

“After the summer I had no fear. I had everything to win. I think it’s Rafa who had something to lose,” Medvedev said. “I went out there, I gave everything I could, and I’m proud of myself.”

Medvedev lost the match, but he showed why he will climb to a career-high World No. 4 on Monday. The tournament’s fifth seed was down two sets and a break against one of tennis’ greatest legends. But the Russian scratched and clawed his way back into the match, turning up the aggression and battling his way into a fifth set, and earning three break points at 1-0 in the decider.

“Even though it’s my first Grand Slam final, I’ve been playing tennis for 17 years. Had a lot of big matches, not as big as this one. I’m ready for these moments to just be there and try to win the match,” Medvedev said. “It’s not the matter of focus or fear or any deconcentration in the fifth set. It’s just the matter of two tennis players fighting against each other, because I always said tennis is a tough sport because you’re only against yourself and your opponent. You don’t have a team behind you to support you. You don’t have anyone.

“It was exactly this: two players fighting each other. He was the better one today. I have to admit it. I have no regrets.”

That’s because finding a way to a fifth set seemed improbable a couple of hours into the match. After Medvedev broke early in the first set, Nadal wrestled control away to put himself just three service holds away from triumphing in straight sets. And when the Spaniard gains momentum, it’s like trying to stop a freight train without breaks. So digging out of that hole was an accomplishment in itself.

“I was thinking, ‘Okay, in 20 minutes I have to give a speech. What do I say?’” Medvedev said. “I was like, ‘Okay, okay, just fight for every point, don’t think about these things.’ It worked out not bad. Was I close to winning? Yes, one set away.

“I had break points at 5-4 [in the fifth set]. I will remember everything of it. I will be disappointed with the result, but I will be happy with the way I played the whole summer, the whole US Open.”

Medvedev could have been devastated by his defeat, after fighting so hard and coming up just short in the world’s biggest tennis stadium with a Grand Slam title on the line. But instead, he was plenty jovial in his post-match press conference.

“I definitely will remember tonight. I’m sure even talking about Rafa’s 19 Grand Slams, I’m sure he remembers his first final, even though he won it and I lost it,” Medvedev said. “[It] was [an] amazing match. It’s an amazing story. All this summer is amazing for me. I will remember every moment of it. I have a really good memory if we talk about tennis. I’ll definitely remember it even when I’m 70 years old!”

It’s been a tremendous journey over the past two weeks for Medvedev, who had never advanced past the fourth round of a Grand Slam. His best previous result at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center came last year, when he reached the third round. So there is plenty to be proud of despite Sunday’s result.

“Sometimes I didn’t play as good as I wanted, but I managed to be in the final. I managed to give huge fight to one of the best players in the history of our sport,” Medvedev said. “[I] have to give myself credit. I hope I grew a lot doing these things. But I need to continue and I need to be better.”

Medvedev will not be defined by this loss. At 23, he reminded the world a bit of the man who won the match: Nadal. Not once did Medvedev stop competing, and that’s what the countless fans who watched from around the world will remember, not the score.

“I knew I will be in the final of US Open, I will fight for every ball, no matter if it’s 6-0, 6-0, 5-0, 40-Love, I’ll just try to win one more point to say myself, Okay, I’ve done everything I could,” Medvedev said. “I can say I’ve done everything I could today.”

Medvedev also came full circle with the New York fans. During his runner-up speech, the capacity crowd loudly cheered for the Russian.

“I was being myself. I was fighting for every point. I think they appreciated it,” Medvedev said. “I felt that these guys wanted some more tennis. They were cheering me up like crazy. I knew I had to leave my heart out there for them also. For myself first of all, but for them also. I think they saw it and they appreciated it. I’m thankful to them for this.”

What appeared like a straight-sets victory for Rafael Nadal over Daniil Medvedev turned into the third-longest final in US Open history. The Spaniard won his fourth crown in New York after defeating Medvedev in a five-set classic that lasted four hours and 50 minutes.

Juan Martin del Potro, Rod Laver, David de Gea and Nadia Comaneci are among the tennis stars and famous faces who reacted to the classic match via social media.

ATPTour.com looks at some of the best tweets about Nadal and Medvedev’s epic battle.

What a match guys!! Unforgettable fight @RafaelNadal @DaniilMedwed. ???? Felicitaciones Rafa!! #usopen

— Juan M. del Potro (@delpotrojuan) September 9, 2019

Congrats to Rafa for creating more history in our sport and showcasing amazing fighting spirit. And congrats to Daniil for an incredible summer on hardcourt in USA. You should be proud of yourself. Great things to come for you. Well done boys & thank you ? for fantastic match. https://t.co/dpCJA0UFt6

— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) September 9, 2019

Congratulations @RafaelNadal, a gutsy victory to claim your 19th Major, 4th @usopen crown and 2nd Slam title this year after the French. Stand tall friend, you are closing in, it was a privilege to present this trophy to you tonight.?? pic.twitter.com/p6yIzYQULX

— Rod Laver (@rodlaver) September 9, 2019

This guy is from another planet! @RafaelNadal @usopen pic.twitter.com/z9HMbClp1v

— David de Gea (@D_DeGea) September 9, 2019

???? A legend with no limits! Congratulations on your great @usopen victory, @RafaelNadal! @RealMadrid is very proud to have you as an honorary member of our club. #USOpen

— Real Madrid C.F. ???? (@realmadriden) September 9, 2019

One for the ages! Absolutely incredible #USOpen Men’s Singles Final with the indomitable @RafaelNadal winning his fourth US Open title. Congratulations, Rafa! #USOpenFinals

— Billie Jean King (@BillieJeanKing) September 9, 2019

Big congrats to my boy @RafaelNadal ! 19! #usopen #dominate

— bubba watson (@bubbawatson) September 9, 2019

Wowwww that was unreal tennis – talk about leaving it all on the court. What a battle. Congrats @RafaelNadal & you too @DaniilMedwed ?????? ?

— Sloane Stephens (@SloaneStephens) September 9, 2019

Someone has to keep her in line! ? Congrats to both of these guys! #beastmode @DaniilMedwed @RafaelNadal https://t.co/dd2mG3FHPV

— P.K. Subban (@PKSubban1) September 9, 2019

Incredible men’s final! Congrats @RafaelNadal on yet another grand slam title. And hats off to @DaniilMedwed for fighting to the last point. Incredible playing by both men!! Thank you @Chase Kristin Lemkau for having us! ??❤️

— lindsey vonn (@lindseyvonn) September 9, 2019

Amazing final @usopen @RafaelNadal @DaniilMedwed pic.twitter.com/PiKahL9AP0

— Nadia Comaneci (@nadiacomaneci10) September 9, 2019

One of the best matches in @usopen history tonight! Congratulations to @rafaelnadal to his 4th US Open title! What an amazing accomplishment! Big congratulations also to young medwed33 who pushed Rafael to the limit!… https://t.co/9Z2VswPixX

— Johan Kriek (@johankriek) September 9, 2019

Nadal and Medvedev are getting it [email protected] wow

— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) September 9, 2019

This man is soulful and a true champion @RafaelNadal took it to the limit tonight @usopen #19 incredible inspiring pic.twitter.com/KhvIBf30Qf

— Sandra Bernhard (@SandraBernhard) September 9, 2019

Unreal final! You gave it all and you can be proud of yourself my friend!Enjoy this moment???? @DaniilMedwed https://t.co/63CGifXOc1

— Karen Khachanov (@karenkhachanov) September 9, 2019

Rafael Nadal and Daniil Medvedev are headed to a fifth set in the US Open final. The Russian is mounting a stunning comeback after the Spaniard took the first two sets 7-5, 6-3. Medvedev answered back 7-5, 6-4 in the third and fourth.

Another slice of history is in Nadal’s grasp in a Grand Slam final. The 33-year-old is bidding to become the first player to win five major titles after turning 30. He is also targeting a 19th overall crown, which would move him to within one of Roger Federer’s all-time haul.

The three-time US Open champion (2010, 2013, 2017) is on fire this fortnight, dropping just one set and extending his overall win streak to nine straight with a semi-final win over Matteo Berrettini. He is 26-1 in his past five events.

Meanwhile, Medvedev enters his first Grand Slam final on a career-best 12-match win streak. The 23-year-old is not only trying to become the first major singles champion born in the 1990s, but the youngest since Juan Martin del Potro in New York in 2009. He is also the first Russian to reach a Grand Slam final since Marat Safin won the 2005 Australian Open title.

The lone previous encounter between Nadal and Medvedev went the way of the Spaniard in the Montreal final last month. He dominated the championship match for a 6-3, 6-0 victory.

It was his Russian opponent who drew first blood on a warm Sunday afternoon on Arthur Ashe Stadium. Engaging Nadal in long rallies, he outlasted the second seed from the baseline to earn the first break of the match. But, as Nadal made some adjustments as the set wore on, taking pace off his groundstrokes and charging the net (11/14 points won), he broke right back. And he would eventually grab the opener after exactly one hour as Medvedev struck his 20th unforced error.

The World No. 2 is 15-1 in major finals when winning the first set. With legend Rod Laver, actor Michael Douglas and fashion icons Anna Wintour and Ralph Lauren in attendance, Nadal would streak to a two-set lead. Medvedev escaped from a 0/40 hole at 1-2 in the second, saving four break points, but Nadal would finally edge ahead two games later. With his punishing groundstrokes taking a collective toll, he sprinted to a 6-3 set as a Medvedev forehand sailed long.

It was much of the same as the third set got underway, with Nadal breaking for 3-2 behind a barrage of penetrating forehands. But as quickly as the Spaniard seized what appeared to be the decisive lead, Medvedev answered in kind. The change in momentum was swift, as the Russian broke right back and fought off two more break points in the 10th game. A sudden injection of pace and aggression in his forehand saw him force a fourth set out of nowhere. His 18th winner of the set extended proceedings.

Medvedev continued to mount the stunning comeback as the championship clash entered a fourth set. Increasing his aggression by stepping into the court and blasting away on both wings, as well as effectively serve-and-volleying, the fifth seed eventually forced a fifth set. The crowd erupted as he snuck a return winner past Nadal on set point.

Nadal is 21-12 in career five-set matches, while Medvedev is 0-4.

After a tremendous battle in the US Open final, Rafael Nadal defeated Daniil Medvedev 7-5, 6-3, 5-7, 4-6, 6-4 over four hours and 50 minutes to earn his fourth trophy in Flushing Meadows and his 19th Grand Slam title, moving to within one of Roger Federer’s record (20).

Nadal earned what appeared to be an insurmountable lead against Medvedev, going ahead by two sets and a break against the first-time major finalist. However, Medvedev made a spirited comeback against the second seed to force a fifth set. Nadal never stopped fighting, though, saving three break points in the second game of the decider en route to his 84th tour-level title. Relive the action in ATPTour.com’s set-by-set report.

Set 1
In Montreal, Nadal saved a break point in the first game of the match, and was rarely troubled after that. This time, however, Medvedev got off to a perfect start. Despite missing a backhand return into the net in the first game to let slip a break chance, the Russian maintained his pressure, breaking in his next return game when Nadal curled a neutral forehand into the bottom of the net.

Nadal, who entered the final having dropped only one set this fortnight, bounced back immediately, benefitting from back-to-back backhand errors off the Cincinnati champion’s racquet to get back on serve. It seemed the legendary lefty might seize control as Medvedev served to even the match at 4-4. Nadal earned three break points that game, but the Russian showed no fear, winning a rapid volley exchange, serve and volleying for the first time in the match and then leaping into a backhand approach shot that he struck for a winner.

After he got broken in his second service game, Nadal got into a rhythm, winning 14 consecutive service points, a streak that lasted until 5-5. And eventually Nadal’s unrelenting pressure paid dividends. After saving the first set point he faced when Nadal cut a backhand slice into the net, Medvedev could not stave off the second, reaching for a high backhand volley and sending it into the ground.

Both players have stood several meters behind the baseline to return first serves, and by doing so they have been able to get a lot of balls back into play. Nadal threw in a handful of no-pace loopy groundstrokes, seemingly to change the rhythm of the point against Medvedev. And at the end of the set, the Spaniard began to increase the aggression with his forehand. The 83-time tour-level titlist and the World No. 5 both chose good times to approach the net, winning more than 70 per cent of net points each in the opener.

Set 2
Medvedev got off to another strong start in the second set, once again earning a break point in the first game. But the 23-year-old was unable to capitalise, hitting a backhand into the net. There was little drama in the next two games, but Nadal pressed hard to improve his advantage when he took a 0/40 lead on Medvedev’s serve at 2-1.

After a wild point in which the Spaniard missed a low forehand down the line long, Medvedev played to win by striking back-to-back winners to get back to deuce. He also showed his courage when facing a fourth break point in the game, serve and volleying to win the point. Interestingly, his first two serve-and-volley attempts of the match came while facing break point.’

Although Medvedev held that game, he could not gut out his next turn on serve. Nadal neared another 0/40 advantage at 3-2, but a tremendous forehand half volley drop shot for a winner kept it to 15/30. But on the fifth break point he faced in the set, Medvedev missed into the net, and the second seed never relinquished his lead. Nadal dug out of a 15/30 hole as he served for the set and finished it off when a forehand from his opponent sailed long.

Before the final, Former World No. 1 Yevgeny Kafelnikov told ATPTour.com that a key in the match for Medvedev would be to improve his first-serve percentage after landing only 47 per cent of his first deliveries in the semi-finals against Grigor Dimitrov. Even though he has improved that a lot, making 63 per cent of his first serves through two sets, Medvedev has won just 63 per cent of those points. And in the second set, he made just 54 per cent of his first serves compared to 67 per cent in the opener.

Set 3
Much like in Nadal’s semi-final victory against Italian Matteo Berrettini, he found a way to get through the opening set and only got better from there. The Spaniard took advantage of his first break chance in the third set, at 2-2, hanging in a rally through early Medvedev aggression before the Russian missed a backhand into the net — his 25th backhand error (forced and unforced) of the match.

But there was a twist in the plot. In the next game, Nadal double faulted to give Medvedev two break points at 15/40. The second seed snuck into net to save the first one and then Rafa serve and volleyed to get back to deuce, winning his ninth serve-and-volley point from 10 tries up until that point. But Nadal missed a high forehand volley to give the five-time ATP Tour champion another chance, and Medvedev did not let it slip, as Nadal missed a loopy backhand just long.

At 5-5, Medvedev held to love to guarantee he would get to at least a tie-break, but he would not need it. The Russian crushed a massive forehand winner down the line to earn three consecutive break points at 0/40. After Nadal bravely saved one with a serve and volley, Medvedev pulled a backhand approach shot up and down for a winner on the next point — his 48th of the match — to extend this to a fourth set.

Once Medvedev went down a break, it seemed like Nadal was in a perfect rhythm, having pushed the 2017 Next Gen ATP Finals qualifier back and coming to net plenty to finish points off. But Medvedev made an adjustment, moving closer to the baseline and working his way into the net himself — winning eight of 12 net points in the third set — thus keeping Nadal from exerting his will. 

And the player who will climb to World No. 4 on Monday also reversed what was a downward trend with his first serve. Not only did he land 65 per cent of them, but he won 77 per cent of those points, his best rate of the match by a large margin.

Set 4
Not that long ago, Nadal appeared on his way to winning this match — and with it, his fourth US Open title — in straight sets. But Medvedev has dug deep and played sensational tennis to send this to a decider.

This set went longer than any of the first three without a break of serve. But at 5-4, the Russian kept plugging away despite Nadal taking a 30/0 lead. After the lefty missed a forehand to give Medvedev a break point, the fifth seed showed tremendous anticipation, taking a couple shuffle steps out wide, putting himself in perfect position to crush a laser of a backhand return perfectly inside the sideline and the baseline.

Medvedev increased his serve and volley output and continued to put pressure on Nadal, using down-the-line shots from the baseline to keep Nadal from playing too aggressively himself.

The 23-year-old is also closing in on Nadal in the 0-4 shot rally category. He is just two points behind the lefty through four sets (Nadal leads 77-75, showing how his offensive mindset has helped pull him back into this epic battle.

Set 5
Medvedev had reversed the momentum, putting himself within one set of his maiden Grand Slam crown. But one momentary slip made the difference in the fifth set.

After holding for a 1-0 advantage, Medvedev earned three break points. On the third of those chances, Nadal was assessed a time violation following an earlier warning, meaning the loss of his first serve. Nadal responded with a massive inside-out forehand and an even bigger fist pump, eventually holding.

The Russian took a 40/0 lead on his serve at 2-2. But a missed forehand allowed Nadal back in the game, and the Spaniard took full advantage. Medvedev saved one break point with a booming ace. But on Nadal’s next break point, the World No. 2 sliced a defensive backhand just over the net, forcing Medvedev to go for an awkward drop shot, which the Spaniard swatted away with a backhand winner. 

One of the changes Nadal made was increasing the use of his backhand slice to Medvedev’s backhand, forcing the Russian to hit up on the ball rather than hammering it cross-court or redirecting it down the line. That led to some unforced errors in key moments from the fifth seed.

Nadal broke for the second time in the set when Medvedev hit an overhead smash well long, giving himself a cushion as he served for the match at 5-2. That proved important, as Medvedev again increased his aggression. On break point, Nadal was assessed another time violation, forcing him to hit a second serve. The lefty then hit a double fault, giving Medvedev new life.

And like he did the entire match, Medvedev kept fighting. Nadal earned a championship point with a drop volley, but the Russian responded by cracking a winner. Nadal drilled a forehand pass off Medvedev’s racquet to earn another point for the trophy, and the 23-year-old showed guts by hitting a big second serve out wide to Nadal’s forehand, which went unreturned. 

Medvedev neared an improbable turnaround, earning a break point to get back on serve. But after Nadal hit his first serve into the net, he crushed a forehand approach shot that Medvedev could not put back into play. After the Russian made an error on another championship point, Nadal collapsed to the court in celebration

Did You Know?
Both Nadal (144/178) and Medvedev (124/154) put 81 per cent of their returns back into play. The tournament average was 71 per cent.