Daniil Medvedev has warned Rafael Nadal that he knows what to expect when the two meet in the US Open final on Sunday.
Medvedev and Nadal both progressed through the semi-finals in straight sets, beating Grigor Dimitrov and Matteo Berrettini respectively.
They will now meet in the final at Flushing Meadows with Medvedev never having reached this stage at a Grand Slam.
It will be just the second time he has faced Nadal with the two meeting last month in the Rogers Cup final.
Nadal was the victor that day, convincingly winning 6-3 6-0 to lift the title.
Medvedev has acknowledged that he wasn’t at the races that day but has warned that he knows what to expect now.
Medvedev said: “It was a tough one. As I actually said, his energy was much higher than mine.
“He was kind of, I would say, eaten me on the court because the start was kind of similar.
“I had one breakpoint, then he got a break, but I only lost with one break.
“Then he was only going harder, harder, faster, stronger, and I was only going down.
“It's great that I have this experience playing him in the final of a Masters. I know what to expect. I know how to prepare for it.”
But Medvedev knows it’s not going to be easy against an 18-time Grand Slam winner.
“So many players and so many people found them before me.
“He's one of the greatest champions in the history of our sport. “He's just a machine, a beast on the court. The energy he's showing is just amazing.
“To play him in your first Grand Slam final should be, I want to say, a funny thing.
“It's not going to be a funny thing, but it's going to be an amazing thing to live.”
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