“Top 5 Material”: Daniil Medvedev Lauds ‘Humble’ Hubert Hurkacz After National Bank Open 2021 Thriller

Unbelievable tennis action continues to flow in from the streets of Canada as the National Bank Open 2021 edges towards its final course. Some of the absolute best went head to head in a bid to attain the all-important glory. Notably, as World No. 2 Daniil Medvedev took on young sensation Hubert Hurkacz in the quarter-finals of the tournament, it was all guns blazing across Toronto.

Undoubtedly, going into the game, Daniil Medvedev was the absolute favorite, courtesy of his No. 2 rank. However, given Hubert’s recent heroics at the 2021 Wimbledon Championship, an upset was surely a possibility. Both players looked at their lethal best, promising an enthralling encounter. However, safe to say, they delivered more than what was expected.

Epic comeback from Daniil Medvedev

Compared to his counterpart’s strong start, Daniil seemed rather slow at the beginning of the first set. The Russian was out of focus and struggled to find his footing in the game. As a result, Hubert took full advantage of his opponent’s troublesome form and cruised his way through the first set. He attacked relentlessly as Daniil failed to find an answer. Although, he rightly credited Hubert post the game, saying, “We are not best friends, but Hubi is one of the kindest guys on tour. He is top 5 material.”

Hubert triumphed the first set as the scoreline read 2-6 to the Polish international. Daniil’s performance was unusual for the tournament’s top seed, but Hubert’s dominance deserved equal credit. He played with authority on the court and left no room for the 25-year-old to make a comeback. However, Daniil wasn’t one to go down so easily.

Throughout this season, Daniil Medvedev has risen through the ranks, with indeed a touch of class. He put his A-game on display and ran a riot on the court in the second set, sending a powerful statement to his Polish counterpart. As the game entered a tie-break, one fought for a chance at resurrection while the other, to seal the deal. The Russian took the final game by the crux of it, turned the match on its course, and won the second set in thriller fashion.

Fans were on the edge of their seats, as Daniil Medvedev pulled himself out from the jaws of defeat to record an emphatic second set win. The scoreline was 2-6, 7-6, with the match now headed towards a decider set.

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Down to the wire

As both players showed no signs of backing down, the game entered its final course. Playing in the decider set, Daniil had smashed 23 aces to Hubert’s 9. He recorded 79% wins on his first serve, compared to his opponent’s astonishing 86%. Hubert undoubtedly looked the better of the two, winning 52% points throughout the game, against Daniil’s 48%.

However, safe to say, stats didn’t do justice to the enthralling performance of the two. Leading the charge in the third set, there was not much separating the two. Although, as the game neared the 2-hour mark, it was going to be a test of character and determination.

Even all the way down to the wire, the fierce battle continued as the set was tied at 5-5 in game 10. Finding the all-important service break was crucial, but neither left any room for the other to make a move. The physical battle was on between both, but strategic mind-games were at the display as well.

And the winner is…

Despite putting on a masterclass performance throughout the game, the night belonged to only one. In yet another tie-break thriller, Daniil Medvedev fought his way to victory, beating the Polish giant, Hubert Hurkacz 2-6, 7-6, 7-6.

Undoubtedly, the mind-boggling performance of both the players will go down in history: notably, for Daniil’s epic fightback. All eyes now turn to the semi-finals clash, in hopes of similar outings.

Read more: Western & Southern Open 2021 Draw and Bracket: Tough Paths for Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas Despite Missing of ‘Big 3’