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Match details
Fixture: (1) Daniil Medvedev vs John Isner
Date: 14 August 2021
Tournament: 2021 National Bank Open
Round: Semifinals
Venue: Aviva Centre, Toronto, Ontario
Category: ATP Masters 1000
Surface: Outdoor hardcourt
Prize money: $2,850,975
Match timing: Not before 8 pm local time, 12 am GST, 5.30 am IST (Sunday)
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video | India - Voot
Daniil Medvedev vs John Isner preview
Top seed Daniil Medvedev takes on America's John Isner on Saturday for a place in the final of the 2021 National Bank Open.
Medvedev started the year on a massive high, bringing his good form from the latter half of 2020 to the hardcourts Down Under. The Russian extended his winning streak to 20 matches before falling in the Australian Open final to Novak Djokovic.
Medvedev has won titles at the ATP Cup, Marseille and Mallorca this year, with a win-loss record of 32-9. But he has failed to take the next step and win a Slam, which is mainly why he hasn't yet taken over the World No. 1 ranking.
This week in Toronto, Medvedev has survived testing encounters against Alexander Bublik in the second round and Hubert Hurkacz in the quarterfinal. He prevailed in the latter by winning two close tiebreakers, after having lost the first set.
John Isner, meanwhile, has played just three tournaments away from North and Central America this year. But he has hit a purple patch since Wimbledon, and would be hoping to ride his serve and momentum all the way to the title this week.
Over the course of the last one month, Isner has reached the semifinal in Los Cabos and won the title in Atlanta. And the World No. 30 has set up the semifinal against Medvedev on the back of some strong showings in Toronto.
Isner has defeated Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Cristian Garin, Andrey Rublev and Gael Monfils in the Canadian city so far.
Daniil Medvedev vs John Isner head-to-head
The semifinal encounter in Toronto is the second match between the two players, and Daniil Medvedev currently leads the head-to-head 1-0 over John Isner.
The Russian prevailed over Isner in straight sets during the Round Robin stage of the 2020 ATP Cup.
Daniil Medvedev vs John Isner prediction
Given John Isner's quick-strike style of play that is built around his mammoth serve, Daniil Medvedev will need to take special care of his own serve on Saturday.
Isner's serve and forehand allow him to dictate proceedings from the baseline. His flat and clean groundstrokes tend to yield positive results on quick surfaces like the one in Toronto.
But Medvedev's return has been solid recently, and he has more than a few tools through which he can make Isner uncomfortable.
The Russian's defensive skills are among the best on tour, and his foot speed helps him effectively redirect pace on quick surfaces. He can also employ a lot of variety and unpredictability in his shot-making to neutralize the power of someone like Isner.
Barring any lapses in concentration - the way he suffered in he first set against Hurkacz on Friday - Medvedev should have the edge in the semifinal against Isner.
Prediction: Daniil Medvedev to win in two tight sets.
