"Andrey Rublev doesn't leave me any other option" - Daniil Medvedev on his compatriot's "killing you slowly" remark

Daniil Medvedev has addressed Andrey Rublev's comments about him strategically wearing down his opponents, following their clash at the 2023 ATP Finals.

The former World No. 1 rose to the top spot in the Red Group standings by defeating Rublev 6-4, 6-2 in his tournament opener. The Russian put on a clinical display, fending off all seven of his break points to improve to 7-2 in his head-to-head record against his compatriot.

Prior to their clash, Rublev had provided an insight into the contrasting playing styles of Carlos Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev. The 26-year-old asserted that while the Spaniard swiftly dispatched his opponents, Medvedev systematically dismantled them while taking pleasure in the process.

"He's like when someone kill you slowly you know and you feel it that you are dying. If Alcaraz kill you fast and sometimes you don't notice, Medvedev is killing you slowly. He's over there, taking his time, enjoying the moment and you feel like you are dying little by little you know," he told Tennis TV.

Speaking during his on-court interview, Medvedev responded to Rublev's observation. The 27-year-old clarified that he did not employ this approach for all of his opponents, but the Russian's playing style left him with no other choice.

The former World No. 1 also pointed out that he lacked the power of players like Carlos Alcaraz and Stefanos Tsitsipas, forcing him to adopt a different strategy.

"Well the thing is, not everyone. I like to play aggressive on my serve or the first shot after the return. But Rublev plays such a style that he doesn't leave me any other option because I don't have the power of Alcaraz or maybe even Tsitsipas, like on my forehand. So it's a little bit of a different style where I try to, you know, go left and right and use my opponent," Daniil Medvedev said.

"He's very good at this game so what happens is we're both good at this game and as you could see in the first set, we have to run, run, run, run, run! So that's not the case against everyone but against him, that's the only chance I have," he added.

"I'm really happy" - Daniil Medvedev after ATP Finals win over Andrey Rublev

Daniil Medvedev at the 2023 ATP Finals

Following his victory over Andrey Rublev, Daniil Medvedev expressed satisfaction with his performance, particularly during the pivotal moments of the match.

"I felt good and I managed to put it on the court. First set was really tough. I managed to just get a little bit the upper hand on the most clutch moments, and this helped me in the second, so I'm really happy," he said.

The Russian will continue his pusuit of a second ATP Finals title against Alexander Zverev on Wednesday, November 15. Medvedev leads 10-7 in his head-to-head against the German, winning four out of their five tour-level encounters this season.

Rublev, meanwhile, will square off against Carlos Alcaraz in their first-ever tour-level encounter, with both players aiming to secure their first win at this year's event.