Match of the Day: Daniil Medvedev vs. Jannik Sinner, Marseille

Tennis, more so than perhaps any other sport, is guilty of prematurely anointing talented teenagers as “the next big thing.” It’s probably the desire to fill the inevitable void the Big 3 will one day leave behind. But in the case of 18-year-old Jannik Sinner, it’s easy to get caught up in the hype.

Hyperbole or not, in terms of his pure ball-striking, Sinner has a Djokovic-like quality. His strokes are compact, repeatable, and you will hardly see him shank a ball. In the Next Gen ATP Finals, Sinner made then world No. 18 Alex de Minaur look like a novice player, defeating him 4-2, 4-1, 4-2, and last week in Rotterdam, defeated David Goffin for his first Top 10 win.

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Daniil Medvedev, on the other hand, appears to have lost some of his 2019 mojo. He won so many matches by outlasting and out-grinding opponents in his breakthrough season, but it appears his default 2020 setting leans toward being on the defensive more frequently. It doesn’t matter how well you move, or if you carry an octopus-like quality on court, a 6’6” player relying heavily on scrambling in exchanges is never a good idea.

Luckily for Medvedev, Sinner is not yet comfortable finishing most of his points at the net. Until further notice, that is the formula to defeat the 2019 US Open finalist. Unlike Vasek Pospisil—who exposed the US Open finalist in Rotterdam with his hyper-aggression and strong net play in winning 20 of his 24 trips forward—Sinner’s current weakness is his net play.

Like most young players, the Italian would rather finish the point with a groundstroke than a volley. This matchup will present him with ample opportunity to work on an area of growth, and test where his game ranks among the world’s very best. Medvedev should take care of business, but no tennis fan will want to miss this matchup between two potential greats.