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JEDDAH:
Hamad Medjedovic upset top-seeded Arthur Fils 3-4 (6/8), 4-1, 4-2, 3-4 (9/11), 4-1 to win the Subsequent Gen ATP Finals in Jeddah on Saturday.
At No.110 on the earth, Medjedovic grew to become the lowest-ranked champion within the six-year historical past of the 21-and-under match in addition to the primary Serbian to carry the Subsequent Gen Finals trophy.
Having gone undefeated via the group stage earlier than storming to the title, Medjedovic has acquired $514,000 for successful the occasion, which is almost $100,000 larger than his complete profession prize cash earnings.
His triumph comes simply two weeks after his mentor and compatriot Novak Djokovic lifted a document seventh ATP Finals trophy in Turin.
“It is a good factor clearly. The 2 of us from Serbia, he is successful the large Masters I’d say, the true one, and I am successful the Subsequent Gen, clearly it is an enormous factor and I am actually blissful to observe his footsteps ultimately,” mentioned Medjedovic, who threw himself to the bottom in disbelief after changing his third championship level.
“It was a really particular feeling. I could not consider it, I nonetheless do not consider it. It may give me for certain numerous confidence for 2024. Clearly Arthur is an incredible participant. Rankings-wise he is a lot better than me, he is top-40 for a cause, he is superb. I am simply actually blissful.”
Fils, a number one candidate for the ATP Newcomer of the Yr award, has loved a banner 2023, which noticed the French teenager rise from 251 on the earth at the beginning of the 12 months to a present career-high of 36.
There was no Cristiano Ronaldo ‘Siu’ celebration for the 19-year-old on Saturday – as he had achieved after each victory in Jeddah – however Fils has lots to be enthusiastic about, particularly as he heads to Kuwait subsequent week for a coaching block with 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal, who’s plotting his return to the tour following a year-long harm hiatus.
“It is superb. I’ll practise throughout one week or two with Rafael Nadal so I am very blissful. I’ll take pleasure in each time on the courtroom with him and I’ll attempt my finest to play with him and to study from him,” mentioned Fils.
Medjedovic entered the ultimate with a tournament-leading 50 aces struck via 4 matches and Fils knew he needed to make an early assertion on serve to ship a robust message to his opponent.
Three aces from Fils within the opening recreation of the competition set the tone for what was to come back because the duo mixed for a complete of 13 aces within the first body, which the Frenchman took after saving two set factors within the tiebreak.
A pissed off Medjedovic destroyed his racquet after squandering these two alternatives and took a bathroom break between units to vary his garments and relax. It did the trick because the 20-year-old Serb broke early within the second set en path to a 3-0 benefit and he levelled the ultimate at one-set all on the 53-minute mark.
Medjedovic leapt to a 2-0 lead within the third set, and had dropped simply 9 factors in whole since smashing his racquet after dropping the opening body. Momentum clearly on his facet, the Viktor Troicki-coached teenager appeared unstoppable as he took the third set in simply 20 minutes, with out dropping a single level on serve.
A shocking cease volley from Fils earned him a pair of break factors at 2-1 within the fourth however Medjedovic saved each for a clutch maintain. Fils upped his recreation as he pressured a tiebreak and saved two championship factors earlier than snatching the set on his third alternative to take the ultimate right into a deciding fifth.
Medjedovic once more walked off courtroom for a bathroom break and located his vary upon return, breaking Fils’ serve to carve a 3-0 hole. It was all he wanted to regain management of the competition and he sealed the cope with his nineteenth ace.
The Subsequent Gen Finals is the primary ATP-sanctioned match to be held in Saudi Arabia, with Jeddah set to host the occasion via 2027.
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