Daniil Medvedev neutralized the attack of American serving giant Reilly Opelka on Sunday, dominating 6-4, 6-3 to win the ATP Toronto Master...
Daniil Medvedev neutralized the attack of American serving giant Reilly Opelka on Sunday, dominating 6-4, 6-3 to win the ATP Toronto Masters.
The world number two Russian needed just 87 minutes, limiting his 2.11m opponent to just eight aces and breaking him three times while saving all four break points he faced.
Medvedev, aided by 34 unforced errors from Opelka, became the first Russian to win a Canadian trophy since Marat Safin 21 years ago.
The winner was playing a fifth career final at the Masters 1000 level.
“When I was starting I could barely have dreamed of a Masters final,” he said. Now I’ve played five of them and won four. “I’m just happy,” he added. “I want to achieve more, I want to play better.”
Medvedev, who will be the top seed at next week’s Cincinnati Masters, the final major tuneup for the US Open that starts August 30, had praise for Opelka, the US number one who is ranked 32nd in the world.
“It was a great week for him, he fought to the end,” Medvedev said. Playing a first Masters final is never easy. My first was in Canada (Montreal, 2019) and I won just three games,” he recalled of a title tilt against Rafael Nadal.
Opelka said he was...
