Russian tennis star Medvedev was exhausted. He seemed to criticize the tennis ball he used when he lost 0:2 to defending champion Hurkacs in the men's singles quarterfinals of the Miami Masters. Later, An unusual analogy was also used to describe his physical condition.
During Thursday's 6-7 (7-9), 3-6 loss to Hulkac in the United States, top seed Medvedev complained of dizziness and cramps because he knew if he could Reaching the semi-finals of this Miami Masters will once again surpass Novak Djokovic and ascend to the top of the ATP rankings.
Medvedev looked uncomfortable for much of the match in Florida's stifling humidity. He took a medical timeout in the second set and then bent down and hugged his left knee. During one change of gear, Medvedev turned to the camera and appeared to criticize the balls, calling them "junk" and advising observers not to buy them. According to ATP reports, Medvedev said in his post-match comments: "I didn't feel my best throughout the match. But, you know, sometimes that happens."
"I don't know the real reason. Maybe it was because it was too hot. But I felt super dizzy, tired, and I couldn't serve anymore during this long match. Then in the locker room I had a bad cramp, so physically It’s uncomfortable. But at the same time, it’s part of the game.”
In typically colorful terms, the Russian said the cramps he endured after the game left him feeling “like on the couch.” of a fish”—a comment that some sports pundits quickly dubbed “the quote of the year.”
Medvedev failed to take advantage of Djokovic's absence from this month's so-called "Sunshine Double" in the United States, before playing world No. 10 Hekaz in Miami. Suffered a shocking third-round exit at the Indian Wells Open. This dashed his dream of surpassing Djokovic and returning to world number one in the short term.
Djokovic will remain world number one in the latest rankings to be released next Monday, just 10 points ahead of Medvedev, who was overtaken by the Russian last month. Medvedev, the new world number one at the time, became the first world tennis player besides Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Andy Murray to achieve this achievement in the past 18 years. Male player. Djokovic was forced to miss two Masters tournaments in the United States this month (Indian Wells, Miami) because his unvaccinated status prevented him from entering the country.
Although he failed to regain the top spot in the world's men's singles, Medvedev's sentiments are very philosophical. "For me, winning the game itself is more important than becoming No. 1 by winning the game," the 26-year-old said. "I see it more as a bonus to be back at No. 1. So I don't feel like I'm going to be stressed or nervous about it. Honestly, I play a lot of games and I have pressure and it's a different type. It's nothing new today, like walking out of the court feeling crazy nervous or anything like that, so I don't think nerves were part of it... I was going in the right direction, so that's good."
Both Medvedev and Djokovic are listed as participants in the Rolex Monte Carlo Masters starting on April 9, even though the event is on clay, Medvedev’s least favorite Conducted at the venue. In addition, there is the French Open at the end of May. But after British Sports Minister Nigel Huddleston said that due to the crisis in Ukraine, any Russian athletes wishing to play at Wimbledon must sign a form denouncing any contact with President Putin, Medvedev followed up. Wimbledon's position has been questioned.
Medvedev did not directly address the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, but repeatedly called for peace. Russian and Belarusian players have already been banned from displaying national symbols at ATP and WTA events. In Miami, Medvedev's conqueror Hurkacs will continue to defend his title in the semifinals against Spanish superstar Carlos Alcaraz.