Jannik Sinner is going to take on a familiar name in the 2024 Miami Open semi-final, and he'll need to be careful, according to his own words.
Daniil Medvedev and the young Italian played the best match of the year so far. It happened in the Australian Open final, and Sinner overcame a two-set deficit to win the match in five sets.
It was his maiden Grand Slam final and the crowning moment of everything he worked on since he was little. It was also a continuation of a rivalry that's been brewing for a while now.
Sinner and Medvedev played a handful of times last year; Sinner won some, and Medvedev won some. One of those matches was played in Miami, and it was last year's final, which the Russian won.
Sinner would pay him back later on by beating him in the Beijing, Vienna, and Melbourne finals. He also ousted him at the ATP Finals, and he actually credited those battles against Medvedev for becoming a better player.
"Daniil is a kind of player that made me a better player beacause I never beat him before. I tried to work on a couple of serve and volleys, drop shots, opening the court with short corners and angles. For sure there are players who make you better."
Sinner cautioned about the upcoming matchup. It's a tricky one, as the first two sets in Australia showed, so he'll need to be careful. He did beat him a couple of times in a row now, which should make Medvedev even more hungry to win the match.
"It's gonna be a tough match, but this is what I practice for, so let's see. I'm looking forward to it. If he plays like the first two sets in Melbourne it was over in a little bit over an hour. I have to be really careful. Every match is different, and hopefully, it's gonna be a good match."