Australian Open: Daniil Medvedev wins despite coach walking out
Daniil Medvedev’s coach walks out of his Australian Open third-round match as the Russian blows a two-set lead before winning.
Daniil Medvedev’s coach walks out of his Australian Open third-round match as the Russian blows a two-set lead before winning.
There has never been a question about Felix Auger-Aliassime’s talent. But that won’t be all that is put to the test on Sunday at the Australian Open when the #NextGenATP Canadian plays Aslan Karatsev for a spot in his first Grand Slam quarter-final.
Will the 20-year-old be able to play his best tennis?
Last Sunday, Auger-Aliassime suffered a crushing loss in the final of the Murray River Open. The #NextGenATP Canadian played his seventh ATP Tour final, and for the seventh time he failed to win a set with hardware on the line. On this occasion, Felix won just five games against Daniel Evans, who is ranked lower than him. The Canadian made 32 unforced errors, averaging nearly two per game.
But Auger-Aliassime quickly recovered mentally and physically for the start of the Australian Open the next day. A week later, it’s like that match never happened.
Auger-Aliassime has been in command during the season’s first major, advancing to the fourth round at a Grand Slam for the second time. The 20th seed, who hasn’t lost a set, beat close friend and 11th seed Denis Shapovalov 7-5, 7-5, 6-3 on Friday to reach the Round of 16. He struck only 29 unforced errors, averaging less than one per game.
“To come through in three sets like that, it means a lot,” Auger-Aliassime said. “It’s good for my level, my confidence, and hopefully I can build on from this.”
Felix will try to find his top level against World No. 114 Karatsev in one of the biggest matches of his life. Before he played Evans in the Murray River Open final, a reporter asked if there’s a risk of wanting it too much in the big moments.
“I think you need to want it quite a lot. I think when I want it a lot, I’m going to bring my best focus on every point,” Auger-Aliassime said. “I’m going to try to be steady in what I do, to be focussed from the start. But no, I don’t see wanting it too much as a worry, to be honest.”
According to ESPN analyst Brad Gilbert, the former World No. 4, Auger-Aliassime will have to keep things simple to avoid turning his own game into his toughest opponent.
“You focus on tactics, Xs and Os. Watch some videos of the guy playing and understand what he does well and what you can take advantage of. [You have to think that] it’s not the Round of 16. It’s one match, one opponent,” Gilbert said. “That’s why you don’t think [about how] this is your first opportunity to get to the quarters. Nope. Just think about their strengths and weaknesses.”
In Felix’s first appearance in the fourth round of a major at last year’s US Open, he made 51 unforced errors in a straight-sets defeat against Dominic Thiem, who won the tournament.
“When he seems like he’s a little bit tight about something — like all of a sudden when he played Thiem in the Round of 16 at the US Open — he just starts missing everything,” Gilbert said. “That’s what’s happened in these seven ATP finals because it’s unexplainable that he can’t win a set.”
This time, Auger-Aliassime will be the favourite against Karatsev, who is competing in his first Grand Slam main draw. Entering the week, the big-hitting Russian owned just three tour-level wins. But he looked like a Top 20 player in dismissing eighth seed Diego Schwartzman in straight sets in the third round.
“From my perspective he’s not a Russian qualifier now. He’s a Russian playing in the Round of 16. It’s a tough task,” Auger-Aliassime said. “No matches are easy. We saw what he was able to do against Diego, who is a great player and a tough opponent to beat.
“I’ve played him before. I know how good he’s able to play. I’m going to be ready to face the challenge, ready to compete, and of course try my best to go through to next round.”
Auger-Aliassime has played nearly flawless tennis through three rounds at Melbourne Park. Will he be able to bring his best once more to reach the last eight?
“To be great, when the stakes get higher, it’s all about being able to use your game,” Gilbert said. “The circumstances usually mean you elevate [your level].”
Britain’s Andy Murray is through to the semi-finals of the ATP Challenger in Biella, Italy, after a 6-4 7-6 (11-9) victory over Slovenia’s Blaz Rola.
Novak Djokovic showed great physical and mental strength to overcome injury and an in-form Taylor Fritz over five sets at the Australian Open on Friday night.
Following his three-hour, 25-minute triumph against the American, the World No. 1 discussed the unfortunate moment that caused his injury and what happened during his off-court medical timeout.
“[In the] beginning of the third set, I made this quick move on the return going to the forehand, rotating there, and I just felt a tear, I felt something happen,” said Djokovic. “[I] went out for a medical timeout where I was tested [and] evaluated. I have huge pain. I took the highest dose of anti-inflammatories possible.”
When Djokovic returned to the court, he was unable to stop Fritz from taking the next two sets as he struggled with his game, particularly on the forehand side. In a one-set shootout for a place in the fourth round, Djokovic took consistent risks on his second serve and claimed two breaks to reach the Australian Open Round of 16 for the 14th time.
“I honestly don’t know how I won this match,” said Djokovic. “I’m very proud. At the same time, [I am] sad and worried, because it’s definitely something serious happening with my injury. I don’t have much time to recover for the next match.”
Djokovic is due to meet Milos Raonic on Sunday for a place in the quarter-finals. The 17-time Grand Slam champion is taking all precautions to give himself the best possible chance of being ready to contest his 12th ATP Head2Head encounter against the Canadian (Djokovic leads 11-0).
“[I am] definitely not training tomorrow,” said Djokovic. “I’m coming here to evaluate further with [the] doctor and medical team, and do some ultrasound. [I will then] understand what’s really going on, so that the doctor and medical team can prescribe [the] best possible treatment, and the only [way] that I could even have the slightest chance to go out in less than 48 hours.”
Britain’s Gordon Reid and Alfie Hewett are in separate halves of the Australian Open wheelchair singles draw so could meet in the final.
Defending champion Novak Djokovic survives an injury scare and battles past American Taylor Fritz to move into the last 16 of the Australian Open.
After losing to Novak Djokovic, who was battling with an abdominal injury, 7-6(1), 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 6-2 at the Australian Open on Friday, Taylor Fritz stated that the World No. 1 and his Big Three rivals Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer are “built differently” and born to be great tennis players.
“I think a lot of it is just the desire and the passion and wanting it, and I don’t think it’s something that these guys develop,” said Fritz. “I think it’s something that you’re born with. They’re just kind of built differently.”
After losing to Djokovic, Fritz is now 0-6 in third round matches at Grand Slam championships.
“I think that I want it just as bad, and I have the passion and desire just as much, but I still need to develop my game so I can show it. It doesn’t matter how bad you want it, if you’re not better than the other person.
“I think these guys, they just want it… It’s something that people have or they don’t have, and that’s what makes someone a champion.”
Fritz, the No. 27 seed, beat Albert Ramos-Vinolas in the Australian Open first round and overcame his fellow American Reilly Opelka in five sets in the second round.
Nick Kyrgios wins the second set with an underarm serve ace, but ends up losing to Dominic Thiem in five sets.
Nick Kyrgios was left to rue missed opportunities against Dominic Thiem on Friday, but he remained upbeat about his performances at the Australian Open.
Kyrgios led two-sets-to-love and held two break points on Thiem’s serve in the opening game of the third set, but did not convert those opportunities and went on to lose 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 in three hours and 21 minutes.
“If I take one of those break points early in the third set, I think the match is over in an hour and 45 minutes,” said Kyrgios. “I could definitely feel he was going away towards the end of the second [set].”
The 25-year-old Kyrgios was playing just his sixth tour-level match since returning to competition after an 11-month absence. He reached the third round at last week’s Murray River Open (l. to Coric).
“Tonight, I was a massive underdog,” said Kyrgios. “I left it all out there. I put myself in a position to win. That wasn’t the case against [Ugo] Humbert [in the second round]. My back was against the wall the entire time. I was up two-sets-to-love tonight, and he came back and he won.
“I’m not taking any shame in losing in five sets to the Australian Open finalist and the US Open champion… I’m not probably in the best physical shape I have been in. But I tried to bring what I had and it wasn’t enough. I fell short. I’m all right with that.
“I’m not upset at all. I’m actually not disappointed that I lost. I’m going [to] come with my head held high tomorrow, play some doubles [with Thanasi Kokkinakis and] see what tennis I’ll play this year. If I can continue to perform like that, I’m sure that the results will follow.”
Playing in front of a big crowd, Kyrgios praised Thiem on how he used the support of the John Cain Arena to his advantage for a place in the Australian Open fourth round.
“I think Thiem actually drew some energy from everyone kind of against him almost,” said Kyrgios. “He’s played on the biggest stages in the world, so I don’t think he was rattled at all. One thing I noticed about him, maybe [at] two-sets-to-love down, he was always positive. He didn’t show any negative emotion. He knew there was a long way to go in that match.
“It was an amazing atmosphere. The energy out there was special. But I’m still proud of myself. I was 11 months away from the game, and to produce that level and go toe-to-toe with one of the best players in the world, I’m pretty proud. I actually physically felt pretty good. I’m sore now.”
Dominic Thiem fights off Nick Kyrgios and a rowdy crowd to overturn a two-set deficit and reach the Australian Open fourth round.
