Medvedev, going for his first title in two years: "I will have to bring out my best version"

Fernando Murciego | 21 Jun 2025 | 19.23

Daniil Medvedev seeks the title in Halle 2025. Source: Getty

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It is quite something to see how much Daniil Medvedev is struggling to turn the page, to find the necessary composure to unlock the final box. Who would have imagined that the Russian, one of the best tennis players of the era, would go over two years without winning a professional title? It's been a rough patch, but they say that no evil lasts a hundred years. The Moscow native advanced this week to the final round of the ATP 500 in Halle, where he needed three hours to overcome Alexander Zverev in a dramatic semifinal encounter that could have gone either way... although almost always in these situations, it's Daniil who emerges victorious. Knowing his aspirations, surely holding tomorrow a new runner-up trophy won't be enough for him, so his focus is already on the trophy. These were his statements on TennisTV microphones after securing the ticket to the 39th final of his career.

The twelfth game of the second set

"It was an immense game, truly lengthy. I could say many things about what I thought during those moments. I am calm, pleased with the level I showed in that game. I believe I was brave and went for it. Where I might have done better is after breaking in the second set, although I am not sure if I had much margin to do it much better. These things tend to happen; we also saw it in the third set, when someone breaks, the other starts to serve better and return better. I am content with how I managed to keep my composure in this final set, controlling more the situation of break points and pressure situations. Luckily, I managed to secure the victory with my service, although on the first match point I had, I rushed a bit, so then on the second, I decided to go a bit calmer and wait for my moment, perhaps wait for his error. I am happy about the win, I am not thinking any more about this match."

Dominating rivalry against Zverev

"Many elements converge each time we face each other, but if you notice, most of the matches are incredibly tight, no matter who wins. When the match is close, as it was this afternoon, the victory can go to either side. The same thing happened to me when I lost against him; once we were tied at 3-3 in the final set, and I had a break point, and I ended up losing 6-3. They are always very close, hard-fought duels, but I have to be happy to see that lately I manage them better than him to secure the victory. They are always tough matches; he is a complete player with a tremendous serve. Any game can be crucial if you lose focus."

Tomorrow's favorite in the final

"Head-to-head stats mean nothing in a professional final. Similarly, both players will be in great form, so it will depend on who plays the key points better. For instance, if we talk about Alexander Bublik, he obviously comes after having the best tournament of his career at Roland Garros, and we know that clay is not his favorite surface, so it won't change my mindset much if I have to face him. I will watch that match calmly; may the best player win. Tomorrow, I will have no choice but to bring out my best if I want to contend for the title."

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Medvedev, a por su primer título en dos años: “Tendré que sacar mi mejor versión”