(Reuters) – A look at the key facts and records of Serbia’s Novak Djokovic and Russian Daniil Medvedev before the Australian Open final on Sunday (prefix number denotes seeding):
1-NOVAK DJOKOVIC
Age: 33
ATP ranking: 1
Grand Slam titles: 17
Career ATP titles: 81
2020 Australian Open performance: Champion
Best Australian Open performance: Champion (2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2020)
ROAD TO FINAL
First round: Jeremy Chardy (France) 6-3 6-1 6-2
Second round: Frances Tiafoe (U.S.) 6-3 6-7(3) 7-6(2) 6-3
Third round: 27-Taylor Fritz (U.S.) 7-6(1) 6-4 3-6 4-6 6-2
Fourth round: 14-Milos Raonic (Canada) 7-6(4) 4-6 6-1 6-4
Quarter-finals: 6-Alexander Zverev (Germany) 6-7(6) 6-2 6-4 7-6(6)
Semi-finals: Aslan Karatsev (Russia) 6-3 6-4 6-2
Defending champion Djokovic ended qualifier Karatsev’s dream run to secure a berth in his ninth Australian Open final.
The world number one, who has never failed to win the season-opening major after reaching the semi-finals, is aiming for his 18th Grand Slam title.
4-DANIIL MEDVEDEV
Age: 25
ATP ranking: 4
Grand Slam titles: 0
Career ATP titles: 9
2020 Australian Open performance: Fourth round
Best Australian Open performance: Final (2021)
ROAD TO FINAL
First round: Vasek Pospisil (Canada) 6-2 6-2 6-4
Second round: Roberto Carballes Baena (Spain) 6-2 7-5 6-1
Third round: 28-Filip Krajinovic (Serbia) 6-3 6-3 4-6 3-6 6-0
Fourth round: Mackenzie McDonald (U.S.) 6-4 6-2 6-3
Quarter-finals: 7-Andrey Rublev (Russia) 7-5 6-3 6-2
Semi-finals: 5-Stefanos Tsitsipas (Greece) 6-4 6-2 7-5
Medvedev, who downed Greek fifth seed Tsitsipas to reach his maiden Australian Open final, has won 20 successive matches and 12 against top-10 opponents.
The world number four will look to avenge his 2019 Australian Open defeat by Djokovic, who beat the Russian in the fourth round en route to the title.
HEAD-TO-HEAD: Djokovic leads 4-3
Last five meetings
2020 Medvedev d Djokovic 6-3 6-3 (ATP Finals, hard)
2020 Djokovic d Medvedev 6-1 5-7 6-4 (ATP Cup, hard)
2019 Medvedev d Djokovic 3-6 6-3 6-3 (Cincinnati, hard)
2019 Medvedev d Djokovic 6-3 4-6 6-2 (Monte Carlo, clay)
2019 Djokovic d Medvedev 6-4 6-7(5) 6-2 6-3 (Australian Open, hard)
(Compiled by Manasi Pathak in Bengaluru; Editing by William Mallard)
