Medvedev loses first match in ATP Finals

Thanks to a good serve, Medvedev repeatedly stood up to pressure from Rublev. But 24 aces was not enough to help the fourth seed win the match, on the day he fell behind his Russian compatriot in durable balls.

Medvedev saved seven set-points to win the first set, though he was down 3-5 in the set, then 2-6 in the tie-break. This scenario is almost identical to the first set of the quarterfinals of the US Open 2020, where Rublev also missed a series of opportunities and lost backwards. But unlike that year's match, Rublev didn't collapse in the opening match of the ATP Finals 2022. The sixth seed won two ball games in the second set to bring the match into the decisive set.

Medvedev's morale dropped, after he lost the last game of the second set by four double fouls. But after saving the break-point at the beginning of the third set, the world number five player calmed down. He had up to 12 aces in the deciding set, making the match need a second tie-break series.

The tie-break series saw many durable balls up to more than 30 racquet hits. One of them is Rublev's match-point when leading 8-7. The 25-year-old, after missing three match-points in this tie-break set, calmly sent the ball past Medvedev before ending the series with a winner from his volley swing. Rublev lay down on the field to celebrate his emotional victory after two and a half hours of competition.

Rublev had 25 winner points in the last two sets, and played more impressively for most of the game. He lost the first four encounters with his compatriot opponent, but defeated Medvedev in both encounters this year. "When I lost the first set in a scenario like that at the US Open 2020, it was almost impossible for me to continue," Rublev shared. "But today I won't let that happen again. I fight every point, because if I lose, it's better to lose three sets than two sets at the ATP Finals."

In the Red group, Rublev is the only player who has never won the ATP Finals. But after the first round, he and Novak Djokovic are the ones holding a great advantage to continue. In the second match, Rublev will face Djokovic, who beat Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-4, 7-6 in the opening match.