New world tennis number one Daniil Medvedev admitted he made too many mistakes during his Mexican Open loss to Rafael Nadal after suffering a straight-sets defeat to the man who beat him in the Australian Open final in January.
There was no revenge for Medvedev's five-set defeat to sporting icon Nadal in the first Grand slam of the year, with a 6-3, 6-3 scoreline in their latest showdown handing the Russian his first setback since he dethroned Novak Djokovic at the top of the rankings earlier in the week after the Serb suffered a shock defeat at the Dubai Open.
Medvedev had not dropped a set on his way to the final four in Acapulco, only to find Nadal on scintillating form as the 35-year-old extended his personal record-breaking 14-match winning run at the start of the season.
“I don't think I played well today," rued Medvedev afterwards. "In general, my level was not good enough to compete with a player like Nadal.
"Too many errors – the result says the same. I feel that today I did not have enough energy, unfortunately.
"I felt the support of the fans but failed to ignite the fire. The Mexican crowd was great; I was happy to be back in Acapulco."
The US Open champion failed to convert any of the 11 break points he earned during a match lasting a shade more than two hours.
“I played against the number one in the world on his favorite surface [clay]," said Nadal, who won a record-setting 21st Grand Slam title by beating Medvedev in Australia.
"This victory confirms that, after Australia, things are going very positively. It means a lot to me. I'm very happy."
Nadal missed much of the 2021 schedule through an injury that even made him contemplate bringing his glorious career to a close.
"As you know, I have a foot problem that doesn't have many solutions," he acknowledged.
"Sometimes I have my best days, sometimes my worst. I'm sure I can handle it. I can finally play without restrictions after a year and a half."
Briton Cameron Norrie awaits Nadal in the final after an impressive victory over world number four Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Norrie had voiced his excitement about the clash between Medvedev and Nadal, playfully predicting that "everyone's having a few tequilas now, getting ready for that one."
The winner of the final on Saturday stands to win almost $314,000, with the runner-up raking in around $169,000.