Photo by Ben Hershey
Australian Open final 2021: Medvedev has got some questions for Djokovic, Salisbury fights for glory
At the beginning of the season, we asked the question who could possibly succeed Novak Djokovic as No. 1 as early as this season. With the Australian Open 2021 final just around the corner, scheduled for 8:30 a.m. on 21 February, the time has come to find a first answer to this question. To put it quickly: so far, no one has been able to wobble Djokovic’s throne. Despite persistent injury problems, the Serb once again fought his way through to the final – his ninth in Australia. There, however, the biggest challenge in the form of Daniil Medvedev yet awaits.
The final weekend also features the women’s singles final between Osaka and Brady and the men’s, women’s and mixed doubles finals. British tennis player Joe Salisbury is competing for the title in the men’s doubles.
Djokovic is the big favourite for the Australian Open final 2021
He did it again: With an ultimately commanding victory in 3 sets (6:3 6:4 6:2) against surprise semi-finalist Aslan Karatsev (number 114 in the ATP ranking), Novak Djokovic entered his ninth final at the Australian Open.
Besides Djokovic, Dominic Thiem and Rafael Nadal were considered the biggest favourites to win the Australian Open. The name Alexander Zverev also kept coming up. At the end of the day, the contender for the final was made out between two youngsters who are not always in the big spotlight of the tennis scene: Daniil Medvedev or Stefanos Tsitsipas. Medvedev won the match between the arch-rivals in 3 sets (6:4 6:2 6:, displaying a daunting dominance over the Greek.
The final of the Australian Open 2021 between Djokovic and Medvedev can be watched on Sunday, 21 February from 8:30 am on Eurosport.
Medvedev vs Tsitsipas: semi-final between arch-rivals
Daniil Medvedev has been in outstanding form for months. With impressively effortless three-set wins over equally in-form players Rublev (quarter-finals) and Tsitsipas (semi-finals), he snatched his 19th and 20th consecutive ATP Tour victory – twelve of which against top ten players. In November 2020, he won both the ATP Masters 1000 in Paris and the Nitto ATP Finals.
Medvedev only dropped two sets against Krajinovic at the Australian Open 2021. Now he is in the hunt for his first Grand Slam title after losing to Rafael Nadal in 5 sets in the 2019 US Open final.
Women’s final: Next slam for Osaka or sensation by Brady?
In the women’s singles, American Jennifer Brady has reached her first ever Grand Slam final. The 25-year-old beat Czech Karolina Muchova 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 in the semi-finals.
In the final she will meet the big favourite Naomi Osaka. Osaka defeated Serena Williams, who left the court in tears, in two sets (6:3 6:4). The Japanese is now unbeaten in 20 matches and reaches for her fourth Grand Slam title. She has never lost a Grand Slam final.
The last time they met, in the semi-finals of the 2020 US Open, the eventual winner Osaka won in three sets.
Australian Open final 2021: Double Finals
Mertens (Belgium) and Sabalenka (Belarus) are the first Australian Open winners 2021 in the women’s doubles. They won against Krejcikova and Siniakova from the Czech Republic.
In the men’s doubles, UK fans can look forward to a final with a British participant. Joe Salisbury (from London) and his partner Rajeev Ram made it to the finals by beating Jamie Murray (Andy Murray’s brother) and Soares (6:4 7:6). They now have the chance to play for a Grand Slam title. Opponent in the final will be Ivan Dodig from Croatia alongside Filip Polasek from Slovakia, who had earlier qualified for the final on Sunday (4:6 6:4 6:3 against Pavic’s compatriots Pavic and Mektic).
Salisbury has had another chance in the mixed doubles, where he was playing together with Krawczyk. However, they lost their semi-final match in an epic battle against the Australian pair Ebden / Stosur (5:7 7:5 8:10). Ebden / Stosur face Salisbury’s men’s doubles partner Ram and women’s doubles finalist Krejcikova.
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