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But this time, he said on Friday after his straight-set
demolition
https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/
sports/medvedev-powers-his-way-through-us-open-final-2021-09-10
of Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime in the semifinals, everything
is different - starting with his desire to win.
"Let's be honest, I was already happy being in the final," the
Russian said of the 2019 tournament. "I was not feeling like
it's a must to win."
The world number two has carved a comfortable path through the
draw to reach his third major final, dropping only a single set
in six matches and wrapping up his win over Auger-Aliassime in a
brisk two hours and four minutes.
His 2019 U.S. Open was far more eventful. He said he endured
severe cramping in his second-round match and suffered a tear in
his quadriceps during a win over Stan Wawrinka.
More memorably, he earned the enmity of the fans during a
third-round match, when he angrily snatched a towel from a
ballperson and then showed the crowd his middle finger.
But his subsequent apology, and his riveting performance in the
final after dropping the first two sets, turned him from villain
to hero.
"This year I didn't have the stories, and that's a good thing,"
Medvedev said.
The 25-year-old is still searching for his first major title
after losing to Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open final
earlier this year.
"The more you lose something, the more you want to win it, the
more you want to gain it and take it," he said. "I lost two
finals. I want to win the third one."
(Reporting by Joseph Ax; Editing by William Mallard)
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