The US Open 2023 Men’s Final is almost here. Three-time Champion Novak Djokovic will go to-to-toe with Daniil Medvedev.
Somewhere up in the tennis heavens, angels may need to roll dice to determine who to crown Champion at Arthur Ashe Stadium. This is likely because somebody in heaven or on earth has rewritten the script.
Most of the world’s tennis-loving world had long predicted an Alcaraz versus Djokovic Final. And that was before a ball had even been bounced. How wrong they were.
We have seen through the years how professional tennis can be predictable and yet unpredictable at the same time.
It does happen occasionally in this sport that some buzzing new superstar or wonder kid comes along to beat the odds, rewrite the script, and send the tennis world into a frenzy.
Instead, Daniil Medvedev’s defeat of Carlos Alcaraz in 4 sets last night set the tone for one of the most unpredictable and hopefully one of the most exciting finals in years.
The Semi-Finals
In the Semi-finals, we had four outstanding players. Out of these four, we had three established players and one breakthrough sensation in the young American Ben Shelton, ranked No.47 in the world.
Shelton showed immaturity against Djokovic in the first semi-finals, especially in his decision-making and shot selection. He lacked experience when dealing with difficult situations under pressure.
The challenge of remaining calm and being able to make the right decisions against the greatest tennis player of all time was too great.
In all fairness, Shelton never really threatened Novak until the last set. Only time will tell if Ben Shelton can mature as the seasoned player his attributes seductively suggest. He is already being touted as America’s new hope.
Regardless, making it to a US Open Semi-final to be stopped by Novak Djokovic is an outstanding performance by any measure.
The Favourite – Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic is playing an astonishing 20th season of professional tennis. It’s hard to believe that any man can still compete at his age in a field filled with young, hard-hitting players.
Going back to that tiebreak against Ben Shelton, Djokovic’s phenomenal record for tiebreaks makes him by far the most consistent player in tiebreaks on the tour. Please, what is this man made of?
The unspoken truth is that Djokovic played very casually against Shelton and, bar a few 3rd set hiccups, mainly was comfortable in his straight-sets victory. The hostile crowd does more to motivate Djokovic than anything.
Djokovic is a complete attacking machine. He creates and executes winners from any part of the court. He can do it all. His mental fortitude is legendary. He is still the man to beat. The mobility he has for his age is phenomenal. He can get to every ball and has the resilience to stay in long rallies.
Something that’s very underrated about the Djokovic game is his experience, anticipation, and reading of the game. At times, he makes it look so effortless.
Has there ever been a more complete player? Regardless of what happens in the Final, Novak Djokovic is and will forever remain a legend of the game.
Updated Version 2.0 – Daniil Medvedev
It takes a mentality shift to move from mere talent and potential to greatness, and that’s what Daniil Medvedev has proven.
Medvedev has been showing signs of his potential for years, but last night, he engaged the turbo-boost to arrive at a level we have never seen before.
At a point, even Carlos Alcaraz was wholly dazed by the determination and resilience of the Russian to fight his way out of tight situations.
Time and time again, Medvedev would claw back points from absolutely nowhere. You could even say he played “a Carlos on Carlos…”.
The performance was truly outstanding. It’s undoubtedly a match that will go down in the annals of tennis history as one of the greatest and most competitive semi-finals in the modern era.
That second set against Alcaraz, he dominated 6-1, was an eye opener. It was a clear warning. Shots were fired. The intent was real and not imagined.
Carlos Alcaraz saw the signs and could barely believe what was happening. It’s one thing to get beaten on a bad day (and you can give as many reasons or excuses as you want), but it’s entirely different when you play your best tennis.
Carlos was pretty much in denial up to that point. Medvedev’s spectacular victory over world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz is a statement of intent. This boy means business.
Even though the Alcaraz after-burners were switched on in the 3rd set, it was way too late. Medvedev was on fire, and nothing short of a nuclear winter was going to cool him down.
If the 2nd set was a surprise, the 4th set was an absolute shocker. We saw a Daniil Medvedev that we had never seen before. Novak Djokovic should be watching those 4th set highlight reels over and over again.
Reviewing any older matches of Daniil Medvedev will surely be a wasted time watching outdated material. The future is here. He’s called Daniil Medvedev 2.0, and he rocks. Best be prepared.
Predicting the Unpredictable
This is a tough one to call. Bookmakers have been backing Djokovic for weeks.
Forty-eight hours ago, we wouldn’t have considered Daniil Medvedev as Champion even if he had somehow managed to beat Carlos Alcaraz.
The problem is not only that he beat Alcaraz, but it’s also the comprehensive manner in which it was achieved.
This has completely changed the predictions and the odds. This is not going to be a tennis match. It’s going to be a dog fight. That’s what comes to mind when watching Daniil Medvedev dispatch Carlos Alcaraz in four sets.
So, we have to trust our instincts on this one. Hopefully, Daniil will push this momentum into the Finals against Novak Djokovic.
Is it possible that this US Open can produce even better matches than we have seen already?
Tennis will likely witness one of its truly epic battles on the hard court of Arthur Ashe Stadium.