Daniil Medvedev clear that he ‘won’t be asking Novak Djokovic’ for advice
Daniil Medvedev believes he is slowly making progress on grass, but he has laughed off a suggestion that he asks Novak Djokovic for advice.
Medvedev has backed up his run to the s’-Hertogenbosch final last week by matching the achievement in Halle, where he will face Hurbert Hurkacz.
Should he win it, it will be his second title on grass and his biggest to date after winning the ATP 250 in Mallorca last year – a title he will defend next week.
However, there remain glaring holes in his grasscourt game, and that was highlighted by losing to world number 205 Tim van Rijthoven in Den Bosch.
One thing he won’t be doing for advice, though, is asking the other players on the ATP Tour.
“No, I’m not going to talk about this with other tennis players, maybe only with my best friends on tour,” the world number one said.
“But I’m not going to go to Novak Djokovic and say, ‘Man, how do you play so good on grass? Teach me some tricks’, and then I’m playing final against him and he’s like, ‘damn! Why did I do it?’
“So, I will not even try. It’s not right and also, I really like to work on myself by myself.”
“Coming after the final last week, I was like, ‘okay, I got a little bit destroyed, I need to do better next time.’
“Final is a good result but maybe next time, I’m going to get him in the semis, quarters or final. I have to do better, I have to try to win. What can I do better?’
“So I try to work a few days on some things in practice, maybe to not let the guy dictate the game that much. That’s what can help me next time. Maybe I’m going to lose again. I’m going to adapt again and try to be better next time.
“I think the right mentality is always try to be better next time if you were not good enough the last time.”
Although Daniil Medvedev is starting to find his feet on grass, he will not be able to take advantage of that at Wimbledon with him controversially banned along with other players from Russia and Belarus.
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