Daniil Medvedev is set to face his good friend and compatriot Karen Khachanov in the 2023 Miami Open semifinals, which he believes requires even more focus as they both know each other’s styles of play very well. Even though they are friends, Medvedev’s only priority on match-day is to win. He advanced to the semifinals by beating Christopher Eubanks 6-3, 7-5 while Khachanov defeated Francisco Cerundolo 6-3, 6-2.
Maintaining flawless shot selection
Medvedev admits that when playing against players like Khachanov or fellow Russian Andrey Rublev, the challenge is to maintain an almost flawless shot selection. In a press conference after his match against Eubanks, he said, “I think maybe just a little bit you have to kind of force yourself even more to be focused… they know your game so well and you know theirs so well.” He added that he knows how the match is going to go, and the question will be who makes the best shot.
Competitive mindset
Despite being friends, Medvedev remains focused on winning and does not care who he is playing against. Emphasizing his competitive mindset, he said, “You want to win. Honestly, I don’t care if I play a friend or the guy I don’t like on the other side of the net (smiling). Just want to win. That’s what competition is.” Medvedev currently holds a 3-1 win record in tour-level matches against Khachanov and is chasing his fourth title in five tournaments at the Miami Open this week.
Emulating Adelaide performance
Looking ahead to the semifinals, Medvedev hopes to replicate his performance from their match in Adelaide earlier this season, where he won 6-3, 6-3 in the quarterfinals. He stated, “We played already one time this year. I need to try to, yeah, play as good as I did there in Adelaide. I played a good match. Hopefully, can show good tennis and try to win.” The winner of the semifinal match will face the winner of the second semifinal between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.
