"I'm going to go with Daniil Medvedev" - Nick Kyrgios backs Russian to beat Jannik Sinner in ATP Finals SF

Nick Kyrgios recently voiced his support for World No. 3 Daniil Medvedev in his upcoming semifinal clash against Jannik Sinner at the 2023 ATP Finals in Turin.

Kyrgios, who is working as an analyst for Tennis Channel during the prestigious event, said that he expects Medvedev to overcome the challenge of Sinner and the home crowd, and advance to the final.

Both players have shown impressive form throughout the tournament, cruising through tough opponents. Medvedev defeated Andrey Rublev and Alexander Zverev in straight sets before falling to former World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz in the third round-robin, 6-4, 6-4.

On the other hand, Sinner defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas, Novak Djokovic, and Holger Rune en route to the last four. Kyrgios gave his prediction and analysis of the match in a recent interview.

He praised Italian's improvement but pointed out some areas where he could struggle against Medvedev.

"I think a key for Sinner is how well he’s going to come forward," Kyrgios said. "If he’s going to incorporate some serving volley, I don’t think he’s as comfortable coming forward as, say, Alcaraz is. And that showed today how successful it can be against Medvedev. I’m going to go with Medvedev."

"I think he’s going to really want to get this one. This is going to be a big one against Italy, against Turin, against Sinner. I’m going to go Dr. Octopus," Kyrgios added, referring to Medvedev’s nickname, inspired by his long arms and legs, and his ability to cover the court and hit shots from any angle.

Watch Kyrgios' comments below:

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A look at Daniil Medvedev and Jannik Sinner's head-to-head record

Daniil Medvedev and Jannik Sinner at the 2023 Miami Open

Daniil Medvedev and Jannik Sinner have faced each other eight times so far, with the former leading the head-to-head record by 6-2. However, Sinner has won their last two encounters, both of which took place this fall.

The first time they met was at the 2020 Marseille Open, where Medvedev prevailed, 1-6, 6-1, 6-2, in the Round of 16. Their most memorable encounter was at the 2021 ATP Finals, where Medvedev prevailed in a third-set tie-break to win the round-robin match, 6-0, 6-7(5), 7-6(8).

However, Jannik Sinner turned the tables in 2023, when he defeated Daniil Medvedev for the first time in his career. He did it in style, winning, 7-6(2), 7-6(2), in the final of the Beijing Open. He then followed it up with another victory in the final of the Vienna Open, 7-6(7), 4-6, 6-3.