A great battle was fought in the semifinals of the tournament in Astana between Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev, but the Russian unexpectedly decided to surrender the match and shocked everyone.
After the match, Djokovic said he was still shocked by what happened.
“I was shocked,” he said. “I’m still surprised he submitted.”He looked perfectly fine. I’m shocked, honestly. Maybe the last seven or eight points, he moved a little slower, but… I was ready for the battle in the third set. I hope the injury is not serious. “I know Daniil. He is a great fighter and he wouldn’t give up just like that,” says Djokovic.
Then Nole explained what actually happened.
He told me that he stretched out the receiver. It was a very uncertain match, especially in the second set. I’m sad for the tournament and all these people who enjoyed the fight, but also for Daniil that he had to end like this, “adds the Serbian tennis player.
The second set was full of drama.
” We played a lot of drop shots when the balls were inflated, and I couldn’t get him through. He is like a wall. I’ve been in those shoes throughout my career, when players thought they couldn’t send the ball past me, and now I’ve seen what it’s like from the other side of the net, when you’re playing against someone who doesn’t make mistakes and you have to work hard for every point. The playing conditions are much slower compared to Israel, where I played last week. I had to adapt, and against a player like Daniil, you might not get any free points. The tie-break was extremely exciting; the audience was practically on fire. “
He will face Stefanos Tsitsipas in the title match.
” I am very excited to be in the final. That’s always my goal in every tournament. I have never played here, and I have never played in Israel. So far I’m almost perfect. The title there, the final here so far. I knew that I would have big tests; yesterday against Khachanov I had two hard sets; today the same; and tomorrow they won’t give me the title either. “Let the better one win,” concluded Novak Djokovic.
