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 provided a stinging response.

When it involves suspect sportsmanship, Zverev must "look at yourself in a mirror" Medvedev shot again.

More: Medvedev Saves Match Points Fends Off Zverev

The imbroglio stems from the pair's pulsating Thursday evening duel on the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters.

A gritty Medvedev saved two match factors preventing off Olympic gold-medal champion Zverev, 3-6, 7-5, 7-6(7) regardless of the German twice serving for the quarterfinals.

Afterward, Zverev dissed Medvedev with one of many coldest, no-look handshakes tennis has seen since Patty Schnyder's notorious hand-fake diss of Conchita Martinez years in the past.

In addition to the super-frosty "you don't deserve a look in the eye" drive-by diss, a annoyed Zverev drove the verbal snark knife even deeper via the guts telling Eurosport Germany that Medvedev used the toilet break as a stall tactic card to disrupt his rhythm.

Daniil Medvedev. Thriving within the CHAOS 🌪️

With Zverev serving for the match twice and holding two match factors, @DaniilMedwed finally comes via 3-6 7-5 7-6(7)!#RolexMonteCarloMasters pic.twitter.com/JGl1PqAWFH

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) April 13, 2023

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 within the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters quarterfinals at this time, Medvedev was requested by the Eurosport Germany journalist who spoke to Zverev for his response to the German's remarks.

A candid Medvedev stated Zverev is "living in his own world" and will flush the toilet break excuses.

The 2021 US Open champion stated Zverev is solely projecting his personal unhealthy habits 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 instructed the media in Monte-Carlo. "Sascha is living in his own world.

"I already had like 5 gamers within the locker room coming to me and saying, Come on, Daniil, why are you so unfair (smiling)"   

🤫🤷‍♂️#RolexMonteCarloMasters pic.twitter.com/TNiTZjAInd

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) April 13, 2023

The man whose run of 5 consecutive finals got here to an finish in Monte-Carlo stated power complaining is a part of Zverev's aggressive character.

 "Sascha, when he loses, we can find maybe 25 interviews of him where he does say some strange things. Again, honestly saying like if guys like Casper [Ruud], I don'tknow, Andrey [Rublev], maybe Karen [Khachanov], even Diego [Schwartzman], so I had let's call it a fight with him in ATP Cup, honestly, I'm at fault, and probably he still like doesn't like me the way maybe he liked me before this match.

"And I'm sorry {that a} man like Diego, who's so form and so truthful play, appears like this about me.

"Sascha is not this guy. Sascha is not like Casper, he's not like Diego, he's not like Andrey. When he says someone is not fair play, you're like, Okay, great. Look at yourself in the mirror."

Tennis followers know all about Medvedev's long-running feud vs. Stefanos Tsitsipas with the person nicknamed Meddy Bear as soon as calling the Greek out on courtroom on the Miami Open.

It was extensively perceived that Medvedev and Zverev, whose dad and mom are each Russian, had been really fairly good buddies regardless of their fierce rivalry. 

Asked in regards to the state of their friendship at this time, Medvedev stated "we were never really close friends" suggesting Zverev hyped a relationship that didn't exist.

"Just gonna say we were never really close friends, maybe only in juniors," Medvedev stated. "That's only him, in his congratulations speeches, saying something like he was friends with me and my wife, which is definitely not the case since long time.

"I by no means stated this."

After suffering just his second loss in his last 28 matches, Medvedev mocked the ice-cold, no-look handshake he received from Zverev last night, initially extending a no-look hand to Rune before breaking into a smile joking "unfair" in both an allusion to Zverev's griping and Rune's own sparkling and clever all-court aggression.

RUNE THIS TOWN 🔥@holgerrune2003 ousts Medvedev in some fashion to achieve the semis in Monte Carlo!#RolexMonteCarloMasters pic.twitter.com/5o4tcpvpRM

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) April 14, 2023

So what is the future for sparring companions Medvedev and Zverev who could be slugging it out for Grand Slam silverware sooner or later?

Medvedev stated he would not view it as an enormous deal if Zverev was merely venting "in the heat of the moment" and his feelings acquired one of the best of him.

However, if Zverev continues to model him as one of the crucial unfair gamers sooner or later, Medvedev stated he'll talk about it face-to-face and assess whether or not they'll stay on talking phrases.

"It doesn't disappoint me at all, but again, if in one week he's going to continue saying, well, I'm going to going to come to him in the locker room and say, Let's discuss what's wrong. Tell me, I'm gonna tell you, and maybe we never gonna speak again and we are gonna be enemies or whatever," Medvedev stated. "But at this moment I don't care much."

We do care and stay up for the subsequent time these feuding superstars collide on courtroom.

Photo credit score: Harry How/Getty     

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