Daniil Medvedev played in two Australian Open finals, but if he wants to make it three, he'll have to go through Hubert Hurkacz to do so.
The Russian didn't face the strongest opponent in the fourth round of this year's Australian Open, as he faced Nuno Borgers, who had never been in that position. He won the match comfortably and continued a good run that may not have happened with the second-round match two-set deficit he had.
A two-time finalist, Medvedev is hoping to make it into his third, but he'll have to go through the Pole, who is a pretty tricky player. The Polish player played a really solid event so far, dropping a few sets but, for the most part, proving how good he really is.
It's a fascinating matchup between two players who should deliver some great rallies and a very exciting match. Let's see who might win.
We've seen this play out a couple of times on the courts, and Hurkacz has been slightly better. He leads the H2H 3-2, though the last match was played almost two years ago.
The most recent match was in 2022 when Hurkacz beat Medvedev in the Halle Open final. The Russian has had his struggles with Hurkacz in the past for obvious reasons, but this court is one where he should find a way to win the match.
Hubert Hurkacz | Daniil Medvedev | |
3 | H2H | 2 |
9 | Rank | 3 |
26 | Age | 28 |
7-2 | 2024 W/L | 4-0 |
173-125 | Career W/L | 337-136 |
The problem for Medvedev is the same as for many players. He can struggle with the serve but generally should have a decent chance to neutralize that on this court.
If he finds a way to neutralize the serve and plays a decent match from the baseline, Medvedev should be able to win the match. I do think that he ultimately wins because he's simply the better player.
Prediction: Daniil Medvedev to win in four sets.