LAST UPDATE | 13 Feb 2021
DANIIL MEDVEDEV WON the first five-set match of his career despite a mid-match bust-up that led to his coach walking out.
Medvedev is known as a volatile character and this is not the first time that Gilles Cervara has seen enough, with the Russian frequently screaming towards his box after losing a two-set lead against Filip Krajinovic.
But the good news for both was that fourth seed Medvedev, one of the big favourites for the Australian Open men’s trophy, recovered to win 6-3 6-3 4-6 3-6 6-0 and reach the fourth round.
Medvedev felt it was the right decision, saying: “I don’t know what was going through his head, but at least what he said is that he was sure I’m going to win, and he just wanted to leave me alone to be calm.
“Sometimes maybe I will disagree but this time for sure it was a good thing to do. It happens once per year, two times per year maximum, maybe once in two years, but today it helped, and definitely we’re going to talk about it a little bit, but there is not a big deal.”
🔥 I'M OUTTA HERE 🔥
— Wide World of Sports (@wwos) February 13, 2021
Daniil Medvedev's coach Gilles Cervara left mid-way through the match after copping some heat from the Russian star.
READ: https://t.co/OFaQqA5Ukn#9WWOS #AusOpen #AO2021 pic.twitter.com/1rE7xo0ZjW
Medvedev won the biggest title of his career at the ATP Finals in November and this victory extended his winning run to 17 matches.
The Russian will next face American Mackenzie McDonald, who is through to the last 16 at a slam for the first time.
Medvedev said of his temperament: “Even three, four years ago, I could go crazy any match.
“Now I think I have made big steps already working on my mental strengths. Sometimes I’m a very temperamental person on the court so sometimes it can still get out, and usually it doesn’t help me to play good.
“I think he felt also the momentum change, so he started playing better. I’m happy that I managed to keep my cool in the fifth set.”
Elsewhere, world number two Rafael Nadal accelerated his pursuit of a record 21st Grand Slam title Saturday with a testing victory over Cameron Norrie in an Australian Open battle of the left-handers.
The Spanish second seed has altered his service motion due to lower-back tightness, but it didn’t stop him emphatically demolishing his first two opponents in straight sets.
Britain’s 69th-ranked Norrie proved a tougher assignment, with Nadal pressed much harder before emerging a 7-5, 6-2, 7-5 winner in an empty Rod Laver Arena as Melbourne went into a five-day coronavirus lockdown.
It put him into a Slam last 16 for the 49th time, behind only Roger Federer (67) and Novak Djokovic (53).
“All the matches are tough… I didn’t convert the opportunities I had at the beginning of every set, so then the situation becomes a little bit more difficult,” he said.
“And then of course you are playing against the best players in the world, so it’s normal that you might suffer a bit. But happy now, good feelings. Of course I need to keep improving.”
Nadal, who next faces fiery Italian Fabio Fognini, who beat Australian Alex de Minaur in straight sets, is bidding to win his 21st major title and claim sole ownership of the men’s record, which he currently shares with Federer.
Medvedev’s compatriot, seventh seed Andrey Rublev, is another highly-fancied player and he continued his smooth progress through the draw with a 7-5 6-2 6-3 victory over veteran Feliciano Lopez.
After his five-set epic against Thanasi Kokkinakis in round two, fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas had a much easier time of it against Swede Mikael Ymer, winning 6-4 6-1 6-1.
Tsitsipas and Ymer were practice partners during the two-week quarantine period, and the Greek felt that helped him with fans absent from Melbourne Park.
Tsitsipas said: “I played a lot of practice sets with him, which obviously helped, and it was similar conditions for me today entering the court playing the third-round match as during quarantine.”
As expected, defending champion Novak Djokovic did not practise on Saturday after suffering what he believed to be a stomach muscle tear during his five-set win over Taylor Fritz.
The top seed is due to face Milos Raonic on Sunday evening but expressed doubts that he would be able to take to the court.
Meanwhile, world number one Ashleigh Barty made light work of Russia’s Ekaterina Alexandrova, with the home hope unfazed by the sterile surroundings at the newly fan-free Australian Open.
Barty’s all-round prowess frustrated the big-hitting 29th seed in the 6-2, 6-4 third-round clash in an empty Margaret Court Arena on the first day of Melbourne’s snap, five-day lockdown.
“It was strange. Something I’ve never experienced before,” Barty said about playing without spectators. ”I didn’t want it to affect my game.
“I love hearing the sound of the ball. Made it feel like practice.”
She will face Shelby Rogers in the fourth round after the American dispatched Estonian 21st seed Anett Kontaveit 6-4, 6-3.
Barty’s left thigh was again heavily strapped, but she moved around freely to dispel any injury concerns after pulling out of the women’s doubles on Friday.
The 24-year-old’s unwavering accuracy and canny slices ended an impressive run for Alexandrova, who arrived in hot form after upsetting world number two Simona Halep and French Open champion Iga Swiatek at last week’s Gippsland Trophy.
Barty started loosely and double-faulted to drop serve, but she returned superbly to rattle the Russian, whose heavy groundstrokes went awry.
The Australian peeled off six straight games to claim the first set, with Alexandrova requiring a medical timeout between sets for a stomach issue.
The 26-year-old Russian mustered a better fight in the second set but to no avail as she failed to make a maiden fourth round appearance in a Grand Slam.
Expectations, however, are raised for Barty, whose side of the draw has opened up with the early exits of defending champion Sofia Kenin and world number six Karolina Pliskova.
The 2019 French Open champion is on a mission to end Australia’s 43-year singles title drought in Melbourne but she might have to achieve the feat without home crowd advantage with fans barred until at least Thursday.
Barty, who made the semi-finals last year, reached the second week of her home Slam for the fifth straight year.
With reporting by © – AFP, 2021
