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We Were Never Close Friends

Medvedev on Zverev Diss: We Were Never Close Friends

By Alberto Amalfi | @Tennis_Now | Friday, April 14, 2023

A day after Alexander Zverev blasted Daniil Medvedev as “one of the most unfair players on tour”, the Miami Open champion offered a stinging response.

When it comes to suspect sportsmanship, Zverev needs to “look at yourself in a mirror” Medvedev shot back.

More: Medvedev Saves Match Points Fends Off Zverev

The imbroglio stems from the pair’s pulsating Thursday night duel at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters.

A gritty Medvedev saved two match points fighting off Olympic gold-medal champion Zverev, 3-6, 7-5, 7-6(7) despite the German twice serving for the quarterfinals.

Afterward, Zverev dissed Medvedev with one of the coldest, no-look handshakes tennis has seen since Patty Schnyder’s infamous hand-fake diss of Conchita Martinez years ago.

In addition to the super-frosty “you don’t deserve a look in the eye” drive-by diss, a frustrated Zverev drove the verbal snark knife even deeper through the heart telling Eurosport Germany that Medvedev used the bathroom break as a stall tactic card to disrupt his rhythm.

Zverev zapped the lanky Russian “one of the most unfair players on the tour.”

In the aftermath of his straight-sets loss to Holger Rune in the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters quarterfinals today, Medvedev was asked by the Eurosport Germany journalist who spoke to Zverev for his reaction to the German’s remarks.

A candid Medvedev said Zverev is “living in his own world” and should flush the bathroom break excuses.

The 2021 US Open champion said Zverev is simply projecting his own bad behavior on opponents.

“I go to the toilet, Iose next two games, he’s serving for the match, and he’s saying I’m going to the toilet to make him play worse?” Medvedev told the media in Monte-Carlo. “Sascha is living in his own world.

“I already had like five players in the locker room coming to me and saying, Come on, Daniil, why are you so unfair (smiling)”   

The man whose run of five consecutive finals came to an end in Monte-Carlo said chronic complaining is part of Zverev’s competitive character.

 “Sascha, when he loses, we can find maybe 25interviews of…

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