Daniil Medvedev’s mastery of a tennis match is mesmerizing.
Medvedev defeated Alexander Zverev 6-4, 6-1 in the final of the 2019 Rolex Shanghai Masters, with Zverev saying post-match that “Daniil is somebody that plays a way that we have never seen before.” You can’t beat what you can’t understand.
Learn #1 – Answer this question. Is it more important to hit the ball where you want, or more important to hit it where your opponent doesn’t want it? If I were you, I would pick the second option.
Medvedev did a lot right in the final, with the following five areas contributing significantly to the straight-set outcome.
Learn #2 – Develop your own unique game style. Opponents freak out when they encounter something brand new.
1. Pound The Zverev Forehand
Medvedev is typically a fast starter in his matches, and this final was true to form. The Russian won 12 of the first 15 points of the match to race to a 3-0 lead. Nine of those 12 points won were Zverev forehand errors.
Learn #3 – Tennis is a game of getting ahead. Always look to come out hot. Be the first to break.Playing from ahead releases the scoreboard pressure.
Medvedev unveiled his primary strategy on the very first point of the match, winning a 13-shot rally with Zverev missing a forehand down the line from out wide in the Deuce court. With Medvedev leading 40-15 a few points later in his opening service game, Medvedev would go on to win six of the following seven points, with all six resulting in a Zverev forehand error.
Medvedev’s baseline strategy focused on trading backhands through the Ad court with Zverev until an opportunity presented itself to attack the German out wide in the Deuce court to force a forehand error on the run.
Learn #4 – Develop a winning game plan. Lock in. Know exactly which side you are going to extract errors from.
2. Dominate Three-Shot Rallies
The most common rally length in the final was one shot in the court, which involves the serve landing in and the ball not coming back from either an ace or a missed return. There were 28 one-shot rallies, which equated to 27% of all points. This was a very even battleground in this match, with both players winning 14 points each.
The next most common rally length was three shots in the court, with 15 points played (14% of total points). Medvedev completely dominated this phase of the match, winning 12 of the 15 points.
Learn #5 – It’s more important to win short rallies than long ones. Dominating three-shot rallies is a great strategy to develop.
NOTE
- A “Serve +1” shot is the first shot after the serve.
- A “Return +1” shot is the first shot after the return.
- Rally length is defined by the ball landing in the court – not hitting the strings.
Medvedev: 3-Shot Rallies Points Won = 12
- Zverev Return +1 forehand error = 5
- Medvedev Serve +1 backhand winner = 4
- Medvedev Serve +1 forehand winner = 2
- Medvedev Serve & volley / backhand volley winner = 1
Zverev: 3-Shot Rallies Points Won = 3
- Zverev Serve +1 forehand winner = 1
- Medvedev Return +1 backhand pass error = 1
- Medvedev Return +1 backhand error = 1
Learn #6 – Keep track of how you are beating your opponent. Know where they are bleeding errors.
3. Zverev Double Faults = 3
Zverev has struggled mightily with double faults throughout this season but has improved lately. He only committed one each in his quarter-final victory over Roger Federer and his semi-final win over Matteo Berrettini.
Zverev’s three double faults could not have come at worse times against Medvedev, as they were directly responsible for losing the first set and heavily contributed to getting broken at the start of the second set.
Serving at 4-5, 30/30 in the opening set, Zverev double-faulted twice in a row in the net to gift the set to Medvedev. Zverev then double-faulted leading 40/30 on serve at 0-1 in the second set. Two points later, he lost his serve. The pressure of the moment and the accumulated pressure of Medvedev’s merciless game style, which yields precious few free points, were both contributing factors.
Learn #7 – Always look to apply pressure to make your opponent double fault. Especially helpful in big moments.
4. Medvedev Serve & Volley = 3
Medvedev is far from a one-dimensional baseline player. He served and volleyed three times in the final, winning two of those points. Three times may not sound like a lot, but this specialized secondary tactic is also about creating doubt and indecision in the opponent’s mind. He is trying to stop the returner from making so many returns by blocking the serve back slow and high over the net.
By putting just three serve and volley points on the table, Medvedev could disrupt Zverev’s return strategy and win the guessing game of “will he or won’t he” come straight to the net next time he serves. By comparison, Zverev elected not to serve and volley at all during the match.
Learn #8 – You are a better player if you mix in a little serve & volley into your game.
In the 2019 US Open final against Rafael Nadal, Medvedev served and volleyed a staggering 29 times, winning 76% (22/29), including winning 8/12 (67%) in the deciding fifth set.
5. Medvedev’s Backhand Return
Medvedev’s backhand return of serve is a rock-solid part of his overall arsenal. Zverev simply overplayed it. The majority of Zverev’s serves went to Medvedev’s backhand, and the German constantly leaked points in this specific area.
Medvedev Return Performance
- Starting Point With A Backhand Return = Won 70% (14/20)
- Starting Point With A Forehand Return = Won 61% (11/18)
Return Errors
- Backhand Return Error = Medvedev 2 / Zverev 5
- Forehand Return Error = Medvedev 5 / Zverev 5
Learn #9 – Know which return side is your opponent’s strongest. Don’t overplay it. Go there as a surprise.
Medvedev has now contested six straight finals, winning three, and has won the last 18 sets in a row to win St Petersburg and Shanghai. He comes at you so quickly, so flat, and in so many ways that he is a nightmare to strategize against.
Learn #10 – Medvedev has so many ways to beat you. Have you developed different game styles to disrupt opponents?
The Russian’s meritorious victory can be boiled down in equal parts to a high level of execution on his side of the court and a high degree of confusion about exactly how to play him on the other side.