Giant-killer vs second seed

Twenty-year-old Daniil Medvedev pulled off a giant-killing act, moving into his first ATP World Tour final, denying one match point in the second set with a backhand drive and toppled Sela 4-6, 7-6 (2), 6-2 in the first semi-final of the Chennai Open here on Saturday.

Medvedev will meet second seed Roberto Bautista Agut in the summit clash as the Spaniard got the better of France’s Benoit Paire 6-3, 6-3 in the second semi-final. Agut started strongly from the word go and with Paire giving him ample opportunities to take the lead many times, thanks to a host of unforced errors, the Spaniard emerged victorious. 

Medvedev should thank Marin Cilic for a place in the final. He would have run into the World No. 6 in the quarter-final if not for the top seed’s shock first-round exit. He met Jozef Kovalik instead and brushed aside his stiff challenge and his fairytale began. 

It was his first Tour final and the 20-year-old Russian was elated. “Yes, it is special. I hope to come back here as it has been good so far,” he said after beating Sela. 

The difference between the two players was the way in which the Russian took up the challenge. He was staring at a straight set defeat (at 30-40 in the second set at 4-5) and produced a thunderous backhand punch down the line to get back on level terms. Another backhand winner gave him the advantage and he seized the breakpoint opportunity with both hands to draw level at 5-5. Sela was down and out. He couldn’t break Medvedev’s serve in the next game and fizzled out spraying shots all over the place. With the opponent’s plan going haywire, it was the perfect setting for the Russian to go for the kill and he blazed away to a 7-2 tiebreak score and restored parity in the match. 

Sela started the aggressor. He commenced in his usual style, his shots were precise, he knew where Medvedev was running on the court and timed his returns and shots with surgical precision. But Medvedev showed glimpses of brilliance when it mattered. He saved three break points in the fifth game of the first set as he drove well to keep the ball out of Sela’s reach. His cross-court placement was above par and was agile at the baseline too.