So there are (already) only two left… Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray are the only former Grand Slam winners still in contention in an Australian Open where the headliners are dropping like flies. Finalist for the past two years, Daniil Medvedev stopped in the third round against an amazing Sebastian Korda (7-6, 6-3, 7-6).
The American, 22, 31st in the world and recent finalist in Adelaide, delivered one of the most successful matches of his career to dominate the No. 7 seed, which has been alternating ups and downs for a year. Since that now historic moment when he led 6-2, 7-6, 3-2 and 0-40 on Nadal’s serve in the Melbourne final before being knocked down by the returning Spanish. Still world No. 1 last August, the Russian will even leave the top 10 after the tournament…
“It’s surely one of the best matches I’ve played, summarizes Korda, whose father Petr won the Australian Open in 1998. I always knew I could be a good tennis player. Medvedev makes no secret of it. The most French of Muscovite players is simply not level in the head.
“I didn’t play badly either. I was just below what it took to win, he observes. It’s hard because it must have to do with confidence, the right state of mind and I was not there tonight (Editor’s note: Friday). He managed the long exchanges better, he won more points than me, he was just stronger than me (…) I was trying to come back, however, in each set, to fight, to exist, but it didn’t was not enough. »
Still, Medvedev, promised to titillate the summits, seems to be getting old against the new wave with long teeth embodied by Alcaraz (absent through injury), Rune or Sinner. “That’s what’s hard about tennis today, is that in the top 30, everyone can beat everyone. Of course, the top ten players are always a bit more consistent, and that’s why my ranking is going down right now, but anyone can win against anyone. Even Novak (Editor’s note: Djokovic) can lose sometimes, less than others, but he can. »
We do not know the real seriousness of the injury to the left thigh of the Serb, who is aiming for a 22nd Grand Slam in Australia and the crown of world No. But besides the leg, he can still rub his hands. With each passing day, even before the second week, the title contenders disappear. Half of the nine-time winner, who remains on 36 games in a row won on Australian soil and will play against Dimitrov on Saturday, has largely depopulated.
There remains Rublev (n°5) and Rune (n°9) to act as a scarecrow. In the other half, the one that Medvedev has just deserted, there will be an unprecedented finalist with a shock Tsitsipas (n°3)-Sinner (n°15) from the 8th. And Nishioka, Khachanov, Hurkacz or Korda will be in the semi-finals next Friday…