ATP Finals: Daniil Medvedev beats Ruud, reaches his second final
What's the story
World number two Daniil Medvedev qualified for the final of the 2021 ATP Finals with a straight-set win over Casper Ruud. He beat the Norwegian 6-4, 6-2 to win his ninth consecutive match at the season-end championships. The defending champion earlier defeated Hubert Hurkacz, Alexander Zverev, and Jannik Sinner in the round-robin stage. He will face either Zverev or Novak Djokovic in the final.
Context
Why does it matter?
Medvedev has been unstoppable in the ATP Finals so far. He is the only undefeated player besides Djokovic, who topped the Green Group. These are the top two contenders in the title race so far. Medvedev claimed his third win over Ruud, who is yet to defeat the Russian. With this, Medvedev has qualified for his second consecutive summit clash at the ATP Finals.
Streak
ATP Finals: Medvedev is undefeated in nine matches
Medvedev has extended his winning streak at the ATP Finals to nine. In 2020, he claimed straight-set wins against Zverev, Djokovic, and Diego Schwartzman to reach the semi-finals. The Russian then overcame Rafael Nadal (semis) and Dominic Thiem (final) to become the undefeated champion. Medvedev became the first player to defeat the Top 3 in the ATP Finals history.
Form
Medvedev has won four titles in the season
Prior to this tournament, Medvedev reached his second consecutive final at the Paris Masters. Earlier, he beat Djokovic to clinch his first major title (US Open). He became the first Russian man to win the tournament since Marat Safin (2000). Medvedev won three other titles in the season, including one ATP Masters 1000 (Canada). The Russian also won in Mallorca and Marseille.
Information
Most match-wins in 2021
Medvedev is now the ATP Tour leader in terms of match-wins. He has a win-loss record of 58-12. The Russian is followed by Alexander Zverev, who has 57 wins in the season. Meanwhile, Ruud, who lost to Medvedev, has won 55 matches in 2021.
Challenge
Medvedev to face either Zverev or Djokovic
As stated, Medvedev will face either Zverev or Djokovic in the final. Earlier in the tournament, Medvedev defeated Zverev in the round-robin clash. He leads Zverev 6-5 in the ATP head-to-head series. On the other hand, Medvedev has lost to Djokovic twice this season. Djokovic enjoys a 6-4 lead over the Russian. However, Medvedev ended Djokovic's bid to win the Calendar-Year Slam this year.