Hamad Medjedovic proved to be the best player at the 2023 Next Gen ATP Finals, after beating Arthur Fils in the final.
The Frenchman was the biggest favourite to win in Jeddah at the 2023 Next Gen ATP Finals, and after he cruised through the group stage, and then bested compatriot Luca Van Assche in the semifinals, there was only one man that could stop him.
Medjedovic had a great tournament, beating everyone on his way to the final, which was a direct showdown for the title between two players who were unbeaten at the event.
In the first set, both players were aware of the high stakes of the match. They both held their serve, and so the opening set had to be decider in a tie-break. It was the Serbian, who initially led 5-2, and then had two set points at 6-4, but Fils managed to win four consecutive points to win the first set 8-6 in the tie-break.
But then, his opponent stepped up his game. Medjedovic was able to break once in the second set, and do the same thing in the third set, winning those two sets 4-1 and 4-2 and taking over the lead in the match.
But in the fourth set, the Frenchman took it into another marathon tie-break, and once again, he managed to win it, this time 11-9, and force the match into the decider.
Both knew the importance of the match, as the prize money at stake would be almost as much as they managed to win during their careers so far.
Medjedovic had a better start, broke his opponent's serve and never let off the lead. The Serbian won the match 3-4(6), 4-1, 4-2, 3-4(9), 4-1, to become the 2023 Next Gen ATP Finals champion, adding his name to the list of names such as Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, and Stefanos Tsitsipas.
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