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Daniil Medvedev had been breezing through each of his matches until he came across Rafael Nadal in the final of the Canadian Masters just last month. Having not dropped a set in four matches, the lanky Russian did fancy his chances against the 18-time Grand Slam champion.
But the Spaniard was quick to dash his hopes as he bludgeoned the 23-year-old to submission at the expense of just three games in his heavily one-sided 6-3, 6-0 win.
For Medvedev, it was a wake-up call, and it showed the huge gulf in experience between Nadal and the Russian. The World No. 5 did take the positives out of that result to make a strong run at the Cincinnati Masters the very next week, where he toppled the defending champion and World No. 1 Novak Djokovic en route to the title.
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For the second time in this US Open Series, Nadal and Medvedev would be crossing swords, but this time the prize is the biggest of them all - the US Open trophy itself.
The Medvedev that Nadal will meet in the final in a few hours from now is definitely a different version from the one that locked horns with Nadal in Montreal. In terms of confidence, Medvedev is at a better place than where he was a month ago. He has won a Tour-leading 50 matches and has reached the finals of Washington, Montreal and now the US Open, besides triumphing in Cincinnati.
That itself has put him in a distinguished group that includes Ivan Lendl (1982) and Andre Agassi (1995) as the only other players to have reached all the four finals in the same season in the Open Era.
Medvedev's brilliant run has resulted in him suffering aches and niggles all over his body, but he hasn't let it affect him. The Russian has even been at loggerheads with the New York crowd, but he has also found out a fantastic way to let that motivate him.
Now, on a 12-match winning streak, Medvedev has done what no other star from the NextGen has managed to do. And the best part is he looks even more determined and hungry than ever before. Dropping a set in each of his matches in the second, third, fourth rounds and the quarter-finals did not deter him, and he still found out a way to keep going.
Now, of course, lies his sternest test of the entire US Open hardcourt swing. Rafael Nadal in a best-of-five encounter is the opponent anyone would dread in his maiden Grand Slam final.
The 33-year-old has conceded only one set in his quest for his fourth US Open crown, having held aloft the trophy the last time two years ago. In the semi-finals, he was troubled by Grand Slam semi-final debutant Matteo Berrettini early on, but he still was successful in finishing the match in straight sets.
The final two sets in that match were a serving masterclass from the southpaw whose serve has been standout this entire fortnight. Should Nadal continue in that vein, it would put pressure on the Medvedev returns and force him to dig deep in the baseline battles where the Spaniard should obviously have the edge.
The fifth seed would be eager to perform better than their last outing and try to use his backhands to make some damage, but Nadal just has been winning the Majors for a very long time and should be prepared to deal with it.
Here is all you need to know about US Open 2019:
Tournament Name: US Open 2019
Date: August 26 -September 8, 2019
Category: Grand Slam
Location: USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, Flushing Meadows, New York
Surface: Hard Court
Time: (2) Rafael Nadal vs (5) Daniil Medvedev on Arthur Ashe Stadium at 1:30 am IST on September 9, 2019
Where to watch US Open 2019?
USA - ESPN and ESPN2
UK and Europe - BBC1, BBC2, and the BBC Red Button.
India - Star Sports Select 1/Select 1 HD and Select 2/Select 2 HD.
Live Stream details for US Open 2019
US Open 2019 live stream is available on Tennis TV (a subscription is needed for the service).
It will also be streamed live on Hotstar.com.
The US Open YouTube channel will showcase the behind-the-scenes moments of the tournament and highlights.
What is the foot injury that has troubled Rafael Nadal over the years? Check here
