Melbourne (AP) – The top Russian tennis player Daniil Medvedev has expanded his Grand Slam series and kept his title chance at the Australian Open.
The number two in the world advanced to the round of 16 in Melbourne with a confident 6: 4, 6: 4, 6: 2 against the Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp.
Because the Serbian record champion and world number one Novak Djokovic is not taking part after his expulsion from Australia, Medvedev is the highest-ranked participant in the men’s competition. “Of course I don’t want to stop in the fourth round,” said last year’s finalist in the winner’s interview on the pitch.
First Grand Slam triumph in New York
In September, Medvedev screwed up Serbian top star Djokovic’s historic chance to win all four of the most important tennis tournaments in one year at the US Open. He was crowned Grand Slam champion for the first time. Now he has the chance to follow his first with his second Grand Slam triumph.
In New York, Medvedev had lost only one set in the entire tournament – in the quarterfinals against van de Zandschulp. The Dutchman then had a surprising winning streak as a qualifier. This time Medvedev did not allow the world number 57, who had defeated Jan-Lennard Struff from Sauerland in the first round, to win a set. After 1:55 hours, the Russian used his first match point. “Even if it doesn’t show the result, I feel it was a closer match,” Medvedev said.
Medvedev’s impressive winning streak
Medvedev has now won ten consecutive Grand Slam matches. In Melbourne, the second in the world rankings had defeated the Swiss Henri Laaksonen at the start, disenchanted the Australian tennis entertainer Nick Kyrgios in four sets in the second round and also defied the atmosphere. “It’s easier to play against a guy from the Netherlands in Australia than against an Australian,” said Medvedev with a smile and joked to the audience: “Every good relationship has to have its ups and downs.
Medvedev could only meet German hopeful Alexander Zverev in the final. The Russian’s possible semi-final opponent is Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas. The fourth in the world rankings reached the round of 16 thanks to a 6: 3, 7: 5, 6: 7 (2: 7), 6: 4 against the Frenchman Benoit Paire.
Strong performance by Simona Halep
For the women, the two-time Grand Slam tournament winner Simona Halep underpinned her ambitions. The 14th seeded Romanian entered week two with an easy 6-2, 6-1 win against Danka Kovinic of Montenegro. Unlike fellow favorite Aryna Sabalenka, Halep is still without losing a set in the first Grand Slam tournament of the season.
As in the first and second round, Sabalenka, second in the world rankings, gave up the first round in her third game. The 23-year-old from Belarus turned her match against the Czech Marketa Vondrousova and won 4: 6, 6: 3, 6: 1.