By Richard Pagliaro | Sunday, October 30, 2022
Daniil Medvedev captured his 15th career championship with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 comeback conquest of Denis Shapovalov in the Vienna final.
Photo credit: Christian Hofer/Erste Bank Open Facebook
Costume celebration doesn't matter much to Daniil Medvedev.
Multi-tasking master Medvedev is most dangerous just being himself.
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Repelling everything Denis Shapovalov threw at him in the final set, Medvedev showed sharp shot-making out of the corners to capture the Vienna title with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 comeback conquest.
It is Medvedev's 15th career championship—14 of them on hard court—and propels him past Casper Ruud to world No. 3 in the live rankings behind world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz and second-ranked Rafael Nadal.
This is one of the sweetest for Medvedev, who dedicated the Vienna championship to his wife, Daria, who gave birth to the couple's first child this month.
"I'm gonna dedicate it to my wife because she gave me the most beautiful present, if I can say it like this, my daughter," Medvedev told the crowd. "I was there and the emotions is much more than winning any title."
World No. 19 Shapovalov was calling the shots for stretches of this final, but Medvedev's accuracy on the move and his elastic reached coaxed the Canadian into over-playing at crunch time. Medvedev beat the Canadian for the fourth time in six meetings as Shapovalov dropped to 1-5 in ATP finals.
Comprehensive court-coverage made Medvedev look like he was everywhere at once.
The 2021 US Open champion has had a disjointed season. Medvedev was up two sets on Rafael Nadal in the Australian Open final before bowing and was prevented from playing Wimbledon due to The Championships ban on Russians and Belarusians in condemnation of Russia's unprovoked invasion of neighboring Ukraine.
Through the stops and starts, Medvedev seems to be finding his groove lately. Medvedev collected his second title of the year today, a day after he secured his spot in the year-end ATP Finals in Turin next month.
In the opening set, the Shapovalov one-handed backhand return and his skill slamming his lefty forehand to the Medvedev forehand helped him take charge. Shapovalov broke twice in a row building a 4-1 lead, eventually serving out the opening set.
Confronting break-point pressure early in the second set, Medvedev took the initiative. Moving forward for a slick backhand pick-up Medvedev drew the error. That stand helped him hold firm for 2-1.
A brief dip in concentration saw Shapovalov scatter a loose forehand wide to face double break point in the next game. Shapovalov saved the first with a smash, but slapped a forehand into the middle of the net on the second as Medvedev broke for 3-1.
Whipping his lefty forehand into the Russian's forehand wing, Shapovalov earned three break points in the ensuing game. Medvedev fought off all three only to see Shapovalov scorch a forehand off the sideline for a fourth break point. Medvedev withstood one of the longest rallies of the set to draw even at deuce.
The top seed survived severe turbulence, stretching his lead to 4-1.
The pair exchanged breaks in the seventh and eighth games. Medvedev rapped a pair of electric backhand passing shots in succession breaking at love for 5-3.
The Australian Open finalist served out the set to force a decider after 96 minutes.
Mind-blowing defensive digs from Medvedev out of the corners denied a couple of would-be winners and coaxed Shapovalov into over-playing a smash wide. Losing a point that seemed in his pocket induced the Canadian into playing flatter and he paid the price sending a couple of forehands right into the middle of the net to face triple break point.
All that tremendous tenacity from the Russian rattled Shapovalov who spit up his fifth double fault, ceding the love break and a 2-1 lead to Medvedev.
Swinging freely, Medvedev rocketed a flat forehand strike down the line gaining triple break point for the second straight game. Shapovalov played a terrific point of angle and varied spin to save the first but jammed a shot into net. Medvedev's third break in the Canadian's last four service games stamped a commanding 4-1 lead.
Credit Shapovalov for saving five championship points and making Medvedev earn this title.
On his sixth championship point, Medvedev scrawled his signature shot, the backhand, into net dropping to deuce.
Medvedev scalded his sixth ace down the middle for a seventh championship point.
Jerking the Canadian behind the court, Medvedev pulled the string on a drop shot to cap an entertaining final and wrap up his 15th career championship in two hours, 16 minutes.