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Daniil Medvedev had not been happy with some of his recent results but that all changed with the Rolex Paris Masters. The 24-year-old became the fourth different Russian to capture the year's last ATP Masters 1000. It is his third career Masters 1000 and second in the Rolex series having won the 2019 Rolex Shanghai Masters.
Daniil finished the Paris final against Alexander Zverev in a flurry as he fought back from a set down to win in two hours seven minutes 5-7, 6-4, 6-1.
The final set was played as if he was in a zone with the match turning point probably being the second game of the final set. He had broken Zverev's serve to lead 1-0 but the German, who had stunned Rafa Nadal in the semis, at that point still had some energy and held three break back points to level the deciding set.
However, once Medvedev saved those, he took the wind out of Zverev's sails and it was one-way traffic. In doing so backed up what he did in last year's Rolex Shanghai Masters final when he scored his first win over Zverev, who still leads their overall series 5-2.
"Yeah, I'm really happy with the final, with the win here, especially my level of game was really top level this week," Medvedev said. "I think it's not easy for guys to play against me when I play like this.
"Today was a really tight match. And I need to say after the first set I didn't know actually what to do, because I had zero breakpoints. I didn't feel good returning his serve. He serves amazing. I lost my serve. Got a little bit tight. I was feeling like the match could slip of my hands.
"I managed to stay really strong, be there all the time. I got four breakpoints at 1-All in second, and putting pressure at him all the time, raising my level step by step, and finally he broke, which is definitely good from me.
"Yes, of course it's tough to compare with the Shanghai final where I was on top of him all of the match. Here it was a really tight match where both could be the winners. So, I'm really happy to win it."
Zverev, who is the first German to reach this final since Boris Becker 25 years ago, admitted to tiring as the match went on and said he needed to close it in straight sets if he was to win it.
"I was dead," he said. "I didn't have quite the energy to finish it off. Once I lost the second set, I knew it was going to be difficult, especially against him who is not somebody who is very wild. He's very composed. He's gonna make you run, he's gonna make you run for every point. Yeah, it was difficult at the end."
This title is Medvedev's first of the season and it will move him back to his career high ranking of No.4 as he heads to the ATP Finals in London. Last year was his first time at the season-ending championship and he failed to win a single match, the most frustrating one being against Rafa Nadal after leading 5-1 in the final set.
"(I'm in) better shape than last year. Last year was real exhausted, lost first round in Paris. That's when you lose your confidence. When you lose first round you always lose your confidence," he said. "I just won this tournament, going to have a few days off. Come to London, practice good.
"Hopefully can get some wins there. No other goal than just to get some wins, because you play three top-8 players, top-10 players in the group. You get two wins you are probably out of the group but not all the time. Last year Rafa got two, didn't qualify. That's the most important thing. No goal to really like win the tournament or anything, just to win matches."
The doubles title in Paris went to Felix Auger-Aliassime and Hubert Hurkacz, they upset second seeds Mate Pavic and Bruno Soares6-7, 7-6, 10/2.
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