Co-favorite Daniil Medvedev made it to the third round after a weak start. He won the victory late. Very late.
Tennis star Daniil Medvedev is in the third round of the Australian Open after a lot of hard work. The Russian defeated the Finn Emil Ruusuvuori after four hours and 23 minutes with 3:6, 6:7 (1:7), 6:4, 7:6 (7:1) and 6:0 in five sets.
Not only did the third in the world rankings have to catch up after losing 2-0 in sets. The 2021 US Open winner only converted his first match point at 3:40 a.m. local time. The second match of the night session in the Rod Laver Arena only started shortly before midnight, as the other matches in this arena all lasted a good three hours.
“The match will remain in my memory forever. It’s 3:40 in the morning. Honestly, guys, I wouldn’t be here if I were you,” said the Russian in the after-match interview, laughing to the audience. “Thanks guys. You’re strong.” The ranks of the Rod Laver Arena, which was well filled throughout the day, had thinned out over the course of the match, but a few die-hards held out until the end. Medvedev will now face Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime.
Alcaraz only delivers one sentence
Previously, title candidate Carlos Alcaraz had also reached the third round with some difficulty. The 20-year-old Wimbledon winner prevailed 6:4, 6:7 (3:7), 6:3, 7:6 (7:3) against the Italian Lorenzo Sonego. This is the second time Alcaraz has reached round three.
“I’m very happy with my performance. The match was a bit tricky with the sun and the wind,” said Alcaraz after his 200th match on the tour: “We both left everything on the pitch. A great match.”
Last year Alcaraz missed the tournament Down Under due to injury. Now he is one of the hottest title contenders alongside Grand Slam record winner Novak Djokovic (Serbia). The professional from Murcia’s next opponent is the Chinese Shang Juncheng.