Good morning and welcome to the final day of the Australian Open which will see a new winner of the men’s title crowd.
In around 45 minutes time, Jannik Sinner and Daniil Medvedev will walk out onto Rod Laver Arena to battle in what should be a very entertaining final.
Medvedev has endured a gruelling path to the final, with 20 hours and 33 minutes spent on court, almost six hours longer than Sinner. But he has more experience playing in major finals than Sinner and the Russian is hopeful that can benefit him.
“I hope it gives, because I hope to have some advantage,” he said. “Physical advantage I probably don’t have. Tennis advantage, let’s see. But three last times he got me.
“So I hope that this experience can help me. First final, I think it’s always different for everyone. I’m sure some guys went out on the first final and felt so good they just managed, I don’t know, to win it. There are probably these stories.
“Some would go and it would be tough mentally and they would lose. I have no idea how Jannik is going to be, but me, myself, I have this experience. I will try my best. I will fight for my life, and let’s see who wins.”
Sinner, who beat defending champion Novak Djokovic on Friday, has been tipped for greatness for a long time but has had to wait for the moment to finally land a grand slam. And the Italian says being patient and steadily improving has been key for him.
“Patience can be your biggest enemy in one way, because if you’re not that patient, you rush in one way, and then you forget maybe some steps what you should do to become a better player, to become better physically,” he said.
“Then at some point, I don’t know, I feel like on the level what we are seeing now from my side is because of a whole year of work, and the process what we have made to become the best version what I am right now. But in the other way, as I said, I still know that I can improve many things. So my way is not finished yet. But in the other way, patience is not easy to handle. It’s also kind of practice, in one way (smiling).”
