2022 Australian Open Day 10 Recap: Medvedev Survives, Tsitsipas Cruises

January 26, 2022 | By New York Tennis Magazine Staff
Medvedev_Web
Photo Credit: Garrett Ellwood/USTA

 

Both Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas booked their spot in the semifinals of the 2022 Australian Open on Wednesday, but each did so in a different manner.

The fourth-seeded Tsitsipas faced no issues in a 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 rout of Jannik Sinner of Italy, reaching the Melbourne semifinals for the second straight year and the third time overall.

“I think my humility helped a lot today,” said Tsitsipas. “I knew I was going on court facing a very good player. So I stayed intact and I tried to focus on my best shots and it kind of paid off more than I thought. I’m very, very happy with how I served, the way I came in, involved my tactics a lot in today’s match structure.”

Tsitsipas was clinical on Wednesday, blasting 30 winners and converting on all four of his break point chances. Awaiting Tsitsipas for a spot in the championship is second-seed Daniil Medvedev, who needed five sets to overcome seventh-seeded Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime.

Medvedev came back from two sets down to win 6-7(4), 3-6, 7-6(2), 7-5, 6-4.

“I was not playing my best and Felix was playing unbelievably,” said Medvedev. “He was all over me. I did not really know what to do, but I told myself, I am going to make him work and fight until the last point. I managed to raise my level. When they closed the roof, I felt the momentum change, that I could hit through the court better.”

Medvedev was forced to save a match point down 4-5 in the fourth set, and after winning the final three games of that set, the Russian was able to secure the decisive break in the deciding fifth set.

“On the match point I managed to serve well,” said Medvedev. “It is funny because with my locker bag I come with lots of clothes just in case. It is full and tough to zip up, but now it is empty, so that is how this match was.”

Medvedev will try to recover from the four hours and 42 minutes he spent on court in time for his semifinal showdown with Tsitsipas on Friday. It’s a rematch of last year’s semifinal, when Medvedev won in straight sets to reach the championship. Overall, Medvedev is 6-2 all-time versus Tsitsipas.

The other semifinal will pit sixth-seeded Spaniard Rafael Nadal against seventh-seeded Italian Matteo Berrettini.

 


New York Tennis Magazine Staff
Centercourt
USTA NTC

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