Publications
The odds were heavily stacked against him. His opponent was 10 years younger, a towering 1,98m Russian with a creative game and the skill and stamina of an athlete in his prime.
Rafael Nadal, by contrast was 1,85m tall, 35 years old, beset with injuries, exhausted after a gruelling road to the Australian Open final.
And for a while, it looked like Daniil Medvedev would cruise home – he was two sets to love up, cool as a cucumber, while across the court Rafa sweated buckets in the Rod Laver Arena.
