ATP Cup
Schwartzman vs Medvedev (Approx 9:30pm AEDST)
As dominant as Medvedev has been this week, I must say I am a little surprised to see Schwartzman at $4.75 today.
Schwartzman has spent the week in Sydney, so will certainly be settled and comfortable in the conditions. He is generally at his best when playing for his country, and the pressure will be on today given Pella will likely lose to Khachanov. Whilst Schwartzman was terrible against Hurkacz the other day, the horrendous hot conditions did not do his style of play any favours. He looked better against Thiem, before destroying Coric to reach the knockout stage.
Whilst you cannot fault Medvedev over the last 12 months, he looks a little short in this particular situation. Medvedev struggled at times against Fognini and Ruud because of their ability to retrieve and keep the ball in. It forced the issue for Medvedev, who had to push the boundaries and attack a little more than he would have liked to get the win. I prefer to take Medvedev against taller servers with poor movement, as he has more options.
Those options won’t be as clear today. There is added pressure on Medvedev today, with the 4th seed at the Australian Open up for grabs as well. Happy to take Diego to cause the biggest shock of the ATP Cup to date and knock off the Russian.