The match had all the characteristics of a classic, in particular after an impressive first set by both men, but the Serbian world number 1 soon put his foot down and ran for a 7-5, 6-2 and 6 victory -2 in less than two hours.
The victory guarantees the ninth Australian Open title for Djokovic, who is now just two Grand Slams from the record of 20 jointly won by Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.
Based on today’s performance, there will be very few bets against him to one day match – or perhaps even beat – that marker.
Although the match itself ended somewhat anticlimactically, the post-match interviews were anything but and showed the deep respect and admiration that these two players have for each other.
“Just to tell a little story, folks,” said Medvedev. “I practiced for the first time with Novak when I was 500 in the world or 600 in the world in Monaco and he was already number one in the world, he had just won Wimbledon. I thought, ‘Okay, he won’t talk to me’ or something like that because the guy was a god to me.
“I came there and as I was shy I didn’t speak, so he kept asking me questions, talking to me as a friend. I was very surprised and it has never changed since I was 600 in the world or four in the world. You are a great sportsman and a great person, so congratulations. “
Djokovic replied: “I would like to give Daniil the beautiful words. First, class presentation. You are an amazing guy, a great person … We used to spend more time together, we used to practice more in Monaco – – you are not me calling more in the last few years! But it’s good to see that you’re thinking good things about me, thank you very much.
“I really like Daniil off the field. He’s great, always very friendly, very outgoing, but on the pitch he’s definitely one of the toughest players I’ve ever faced in my life. It’s a matter of time when you go to perform a grand slam for sure … but if you don’t mind waiting a few more years. “
No change of guard
This was a fascinating confrontation between intergenerational talents, with 33-year-old Djokovic representing the tennis-winning old guard and 25-year-old Medvedev, the emerging stars who hope one day to dethrone the Serb and his colleagues.
Based on Sunday’s final, that day still looks a bit distant.
Coming to the match, Medvedev had reason to be confident. World number 4 was on a 20-game winning streak and is only the sixth active player to achieve the feat, joining Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and Juan Martin del Potro.
But Djokovic seemed compelling from the start, breaking Medvedev in his opening service game and twice holding back with ease to run to a 3-0 lead. However, playing only his second Grand Slam final compared to Djokovic’s 28th, Medvedev’s first nerves soon dissipated and he quickly settled in at his pace.
The turning point in the early stages came when the duo exchanged an impressive 28-stroke rally, with Djokovic playing his last stroke in the back of the net to give the Russian break point. Medvedev duly capitalized on an impressive defensive game to force Djokovic into another mistake and the first set was soon tied.
A few minutes earlier, it looked like the Serb was going to run away with the first set, but suddenly the momentum was with Medvedev.
The pair stayed face to face until Medvedev was serving to stay on the set at 5-6. As he always does at crucial moments, Djokovic accelerated, finding extra length and strength in his returns to break his opponent’s serve and close a very disputed starting set.
This was the eighth meeting between the two big hitters – with Djokovic tying in the 4-3 head-to-head clash – and it had all the ingredients to be their best game to date.
However, after Medvedev seemed to recover well from that initial disappointment when breaking Djokovic in the opening game of the second set, he soon collapsed and in a blink he was two sets down.
There seemed to be very little that World No. 4 could do to prevent the attack, and Medvedev’s racket bore the brunt of his frustration when he crushed it to the floor of the Rod Laver arena.
While Medvedev unquestionably boasts the talent to compete with Djokovic – indeed, an impressive drop shot in the third set brought applause from even his opponent – the experience and mental resilience needed in times of adversity in Grand Slam finals still seem to be lacking.
To Medvedev’s credit, he was eager to drop with a flourish and hit some incredible strokes while Djokovic tried to close the match.
However, the world’s No. 1 proved that it was still a level above Sunday’s opponent and closed any late hope that Medvedev was winning with a flurry of impressive shots.