Shanghai final preview and prediction: Medvedev vs. Zverev

Daniil Medvedev improved to 5-0 lifetime against Stefanos Tsitsipas with a 7-6(5), 7-5 victory at the Rolex Shanghai Masters on Saturday. One day later it is Medvedev who is staring a massive head-to-head deficit in the face.

The fourth-ranked Russian will battle Alexander Zverev for the Shanghai title on Sunday afternoon, with the latter having taken all four of their previous encounters. Zverev won straight-setters in 2016 (St. Petersburg), 2017 (Washington, D.C.), and 2018 (Montreal) while also prevailing 6-4, 1-6, 7-6(5) at last year’s Miami Masters.

Of course, Medvedev is a totally different player now. The 23-year-old is the wins leader on tour in 2019, with an amazing 58-17 overall record and a 28-3 mark during a current hot stretch that features six consecutive final appearances. Medvedev, the U.S. Open runner-up and champion in Cincinnati and St. Petersburg, has remained red hot with straight-set Shanghai defeats of Cameron Norrie, Vasek Pospisil, Fabio Fognini, and Stefanos Tsitsipas.

“Making six [finals] in a row–including three Masters 1000s and one Grand Slam–is something I could never dream of, to be honest,” Medvedev noted. “But I want to keep the momentum going and hope I can make it to seven or eight.”

Zverev has been nowhere near as consistent this season, but he is in prime position to join Medvedev at the Nitto ATP Finals thanks to a sudden and much-needed hot streak. The 22-year-old German followed up Laver Cup heroics with a semifinal showing in Beijing and so far this week he has ousted Jeremy Chardy, Andrey Rublev, Roger Federer, and Matteo Berrettini.

“We’ve played some fantastic matches, all going my way until now,” Zverev said of his lopsided rivalry with Medvedev. “I hope tomorrow that will not change. But he’s been playing some fantastic tennis, sixth final in a row, U.S. Open finalist, won Cincinnati…. He’s probably the best player in the world right now. I hope it’s just going to be a good match.”

Although Zverev may be wrong about Medvedev being the absolute best player in the world, his hopes for a good match should pan out. The former world No. 3 and current world No. 6 has been serving incredibly well over the past two weeks, which is why he will be competitive on Sunday. But Medvedev is basically in video-game mode right now and his mental toughness in pressure situations has also been incredible since the start of the summer.

Pick: Medvedev in 3

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