Medvedev, Krejcikova return to Grand Slam-winning form with titles in Doha, Dubai

The signs of trouble arrived early for Iga Swiatek and Andy Murray on Saturday.

Setting up to serve on the second point of the Doha final, Murray thought he heard a sound coming from his left. So he stopped and looked irritably in that direction. Then, after he had settled back down, he thought he heard a sound coming from his right. So he stopped and looked irritably in that direction, too. The real issue, of course, was what Murray was facing on the other side of the net: An opponent, in Daniil Medvedev, who had straight-setted him in their only two previous meetings.

For Swiatek, it wasn’t what she heard that troubled her in the early going in the Dubai final; it was what she felt when the ball came off her racquet. Down 40-love in an early game, she banged her hand on her strings and ran off court to change racquets. Forty-five minutes later, she was still banging her hand against her strings in frustration, and still not feeling satisfied with how she was feeling the ball. As with Murray, though, the real issue for Swiatek wasn’t her racquet; it was her opponent. She was also facing a player, in Barbora Krejcikova, who seems to have her number at the moment.

In both matches, the early signs proved correct. Swiatek and Murray never stopped trying, but they never caught up to their opponents, either. In Dubai, Krejcikova won her first WTA 1000, and her second consecutive match over Swiatek, 6-4, 6-2. In Doha, Medvedev won his second title in as many weeks, and his third in a row over Murray, 6-4, 6-4.

Krejcikova and Medvedev are both 27; they’ve both won a single Grand Slam title, and they’re both coming off unlucky, disappointing 2022 seasons in which they saw their rankings drop. Dubai and Doha aren’t major tournaments, but in winning them, the Czech and the Russian showed again how unique and elite their talents remain. In the process, they injected themselves back into the 2023 big-title contender conversation.

“I think I showed my best tennis this week,” Krejcikova said. “I’m really happy with the way I played, how I was able to play my tennis but also hold the nerves, just enjoy everything that was happening during this week on the court.”

The unseeded Krejcikova certainly had an enjoyable week. She beat the No. 1, 2, and 3 players in the world, a rare achievement. She saved four match points against Daria Kasatkina. She lost a 6-0 opening set to Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka before coming back to win their quarterfinal. She handed Jessica Pegula a third-set bagel in their semifinal.

Then she topped herself in the final. Krejcikova didn’t beat Swiatek by waiting for errors, or because the WTA No. 1 had an off day. She won by out-playing Swiatek at her own game. Krejcikova fired six aces to Swiatek’s two. She hit 23 winners to Swiatek’s 10. She converted on five of her six break points. She put her returns at Swiatek’s feet, and won 13 of 17 points on Swiatek’s second serve. She took the Pole’s best ground strokes and sent them back with more pace and depth. Instead of chasing Swiatek’s shots, she used her opponent’s power to generate more of her own.

“When you play with Iga, you have to suffer, otherwise you’re not going to win because she’s everywhere. She plays great shots. She likes to play long rallies. So you have to suffer. I don’t mind that.”

Krejcikova has long backswings on both sides, and she relies a lot on taking them early and timing them perfectly. Like anyone else, her timing can go off. But when she’s in full command of her many weapons, she’s a match for anyone.

On Sunday, Krejcikova left Swiatek looking helpless with her offense and defense. She belted her returns past her before she could react, and she clinched an insurance break with a reflex lob that landed right on the baseline, and that Swiatek could only watch from afar.

“I love challenges,” said Krejcikova, who won her last match over Swiatek, in the 2022 Ostrava final. “When there’s somebody that’s really tough, I just love to go out there and see where I am, if I can beat this player.”

“Today was a big fight for both of us,” Medvedev said of his win over Murray. “Sometimes we were playing bad, and then suddenly both of us were playing amazing, and I’m happy to win.”

Medvedev’s title run in Doha wasn’t as spectacular or surprising as Krejickova’s. Instead, it was the 35-year-old Murray who was the must-watch of the week. He had saved three match points against Lorenzo Sonego. He saved five match points against Jiri Lehecka. He was two points from losing to Alexander Zverev. He won all four of his matches in three sets.

Even in the final, Murray threatened to make comebacks in each set. He was down early in both, before rallying to break serve and level the score. But Medvedev had a few things going that Murray’s opponents didn’t. First, there was his serve; he could use it to snuff out any Murray momentum. Second, there was his consistency; Murray struggled to find a way past the Russian’s baseline defenses. Third, there were his passing shots; despite hitting them from well behind the baseline, Medvedev found a way to dip them at Murray’s feet when he needed to.

“Today it was tough for Andy to put the balls through me many times,” he said.

Is Medvedev ready to reclaim the form that took him to No. 1 a year ago? Last week he won a 500 in Rotterdam, and he has two wins over Felix Auger-Aliassime and one over Jannik Sinner in the last 14 days.

“I managed to find momentum in Rotterdam,” said Medvedev, who went out in the third round at the Australian Open. “I started to play really good. Serve better, move better…Now the question is [if it] can continue. I’m going to try as long as I can.”

Next month Krejcikova and Medvedev will make their way to the U.S. for the Masters 1000s in Indian Wells and Miami. Neither, somewhat surprisingly, has made the final at either event. If they can keep their current levels up, a Sunshine Double breakthrough, or two, could be coming soon.