On day three of the 2024 Nitto ATP Finals, Daniil Medvedev kept his semi-final hopes alive with a 6-2 6-4 victory over Alex de Minaur in the day session.
Meddy came into the tie after a flat performance against Taylor Fritz, during which he looked ready for the off-season, but he played with much more enthusiasm against De Minaur, outlasting him in virtually all the exchanges and hitting his shots with more conviction.
In the evening session, world number one Jannik Sinner produced another solid performance to see off Taylor Fritz 6-4 6-4.Â
Sinner was composed and timed his ascendency in each set perfectly, breaking when leading 5-4 in both to move through in 1 hour and 40 minutes.
Nitto ATP Finals 2024 Day 3 Results
| Winner | Loser | Scoreline |
|---|---|---|
| Daniil Medvedev (4) | Alex de Minaur (7) | 6-2 6-4 |
| Jannik Sinner (1) | Taylor Fritz (5) | 6-4 6-4 |
Medvedev Too Good For De Minaur
Daniil Medvedev bounced back from his disappointing opening match with a much-improved performance as he defeated Alex de Minaur 6-2 6-4 to keep his ATP finals alive.
Medvedev looked defeated physically and mentally against Fritz, but he was dialled in from the start against the Aussie. He played aggressively from the baseline and consistently outlasted him in the rallies, winning 20 of 31 baseline points in the opening set.
Meddy’s serve was also firing, and he didn’t face a single break point during the match. He had an answer for everything de Minaur had to offer, and it’s the best match I’ve seen from him in a while.
Interestingly, Medvedev said in his on-court interview that he had changed his equipment for this match to increase his ball speed. That’s either lowering tension or switching the string setup to something more elastic. He said he used this during the early hardcourt tournaments but switched back because it didn’t work so well on clay. He’s sticking with the change on Thursday.
I went into this match blocking the noise, even from myself. I really didn’t care what was happening on the court, I just tried to play, and it was a good feeling. Sometimes it’s good to block it [the noise], and I did that well today. After the last match, I was too tired mentally to fight the way I usually do. [So,] I went into the match [today] just trying to hit some shots, even thinking about next year. What is going to work well today and what’s not. It worked well, so I’m okay with it. Medvedev on his win.
Match Stats
| Â | Daniil Medvedev | Alex de Minaur |
|---|---|---|
| Aces | 3 | 1 |
| Double Faults | 3 | 1 |
| 1st Serve Percentage | 72% | 68% |
| 1st Serve Points Won | 85% (29/34) | 56% (24/43) |
| 2nd Serve Points Won | 69% (9/13) | 65% (13/20) |
| Break Points Saved | 0% (0/0) | 25% (1/4) |
| 1st Return Points Won | 44% (19/43) | 18% (6/34) |
| 2nd Return Points Won | 35% (7/20) | 31% (4/13) |
| Break Points Converted | 75% (3/4) | 0% (0/0) |
| Winners | 25 | 10 |
| Unforced Errors | 22 | 24 |
| Net Points Won | 76% (13/17) | 56% (10/18) |
| Service Points Won | 81% (38/47) | 60% (37/62) |
| Return Points Won | 40% (25/62) | 19% (9/47) |
| Total Points Won | 58% (63/109) | 42% (46/109) |
| Service Games Won | 100% (9/9) | 67% (6/9) |
| Return Games Won | 33% (3/9) | 0% (0/9) |
| Total Games Won | 67% (12/18) | 33% (6/18) |
Highlights
Sinner Sinks Fritz
There was little to separate the two in the opening few games of the first set. After a love hold, Fritz was the first to fashion a breakpoint in the seventh game, but Sinner erased it en route to holding.
The Italian then created three break points at 0-40, but Fritz, who’s serving exceptionally well this season, found some big serves when he needed them to escape.
However, at the business end of the set, Sinner lifted his level, applying a lot more pressure onto Fritz, and he couldn’t withstand it. He was broken to fifteen to drop the opener 6-4.
In the second set, Sinner held a break point at 3-3, but again, Fritz served his way out of trouble. The top seed then found himself in big trouble at 0-30, only to come up with a laser-like passing shot at 30-30 to avert break point.
Like the first set, Fritz was forced to serve to stay in it, and despite moving up 30-0, Sinner turned the screw, reeling off four straight points as the American failed to handle the pressure.
I thought the match perfectly highlighted the difference between the two. Fritz plays great, but Sinner can raise his level when he needs to most to widen the gap when it comes to the crunch.Â
It was a very tough match, we got to know each other very well in a Grand Slam final. We knew exactly what to expect today, he was very aggressive and I was prepared. I just tried to serve very well in the important moments, which I did. That was a very crucial game in the second set, I was down 0/30. If he breaks me there, the momentum could change. Sinner on his win over Fritz.
Match Stats
| Â | Jannik Sinner | Taylor Fritz |
|---|---|---|
| Aces | 6 | 7 |
| Double Faults | 0 | 0 |
| 1st Serve Percentage | 59% | 59% |
| 1st Serve Points Won | 77% (30/39) | 79% (30/38) |
| 2nd Serve Points Won | 59% (16/27) | 38% (10/26) |
| Break Points Saved | 100% (1/1) | 67% (4/6) |
| 1st Return Points Won | 21% (8/38) | 23% (9/39) |
| 2nd Return Points Won | 62% (16/26) | 41% (11/27) |
| Break Points Converted | 33% (2/6) | 0% (0/1) |
| Winners | 21 | 20 |
| Unforced Errors | 22 | 31 |
| Net Points Won | 90% (9/10) | 79% (11/14) |
| Service Points Won | 70% (46/66) | 63% (40/64) |
| Return Points Won | 38% (24/64) | 30% (20/66) |
| Total Points Won | 54% (70/130) | 46% (60/130) |
| Service Games Won | 100% (10/10) | 80% (8/10) |
| Return Games Won | 20% (2/10) | 0% (0/10) |
| Total Games Won | 60% (12/20) | 40% (8/20) |
Highlights
Press Conferences
ATP Finals 2024 Day 3 Schedule
- 14:00: Carlos Alcaraz (3) vs Andrey Rublev (8)
- 20:30: Alexander Zverev (2) vs Casper Ruud (6)