For this match, I won’t be doing a detailed comparison between the two finalists. 

First, because I’ve simply seen more of Nadal than Medvedev. I grew up watching Nadal’s matches and studying his game, ways I could improve as a lefty player just by watching the way he used it to his advantage. 

Second, I think the result of the match will depend more on Nadal’s overall performance than any other factor. It doesn’t matter if Medvedev is playing his best tennis ever. If Nadal is playing aggressively, without making many unforced errors, and with a high percentage of first serves in, I believe the Spaniard will win.

 

Medvedev on the other side needs to neutralize Nadal’s forehand. Contrary to watch many coaches teach, he will need to hit more balls to the middle of the court, so Nadal doesn’t receive balls with angles that he can use to hit even more angled shots.

If both are serving well, the match will go to four or even five sets, bringing back memories of that 2019 U.S Open final.

VQ

@thepolsoftennis on twitter.