TC Plus Match of the Day: Djokovic vs. Medvedev, Cincinnati

The sizzling Daniil Medvedev will test his luck against the world’s best player for the third time this season on Saturday in the Cincinnati semifinals.

The Russian hopes to duplicate his Monte Carlo quarterfinal performance, where he defeated Novak Djokovic, 6-3, 4-6, 6-2. Medvedev also took a set off Djokovic in the fourth round of the Australian Open, proving he can go toe-to-toe with the Serbian.

Djokovic holds a 3-1 edge in their head-to-head series. (Getty Images)

Medvedev, who owns a devastating two-handed backhand, uses his length, quickness, and consistency to dominate his opponents. But unfortunately for the world No. 8, his opponent has an even better backhand, arguably the greatest two-hander of all time. Both players possess supreme consistency from the baseline. After Medvedev’s overloaded summer, Djokovic will try and make this match as physical as possible.

The 23-year-old Medvedev has played a remarkable fourteen matches in eighteen days, yet somehow keeps winning, and with plenty of margin. He has won twelve of his last fourteen matches in straight sets, and has been one of the stories of the summer. Medvedev recently cracked the Top 10, a place he will likely remain for quite some time.

For the Moscow native to win this battle, he will need to serve lights-out and keep points on the shorter side. Although Medvedev is riding a wave of confidence, look for Djokovic to empty his opponent's fuel tank and march on to his second straight Cincinnati final.