ATP
Australian Open Men’s Day 3
Daniil Medvedev exploded in anger at a low point in his opening match at the Australian Open on Tuesday destroying a net camera with his racquet but controlling his temper long enough for a win over a Thai challenger.
The finalist at three of the last four editions stayed the course for a 6-2, 4-6, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 defeat of Kasidit Samrej, ranked 418 and making his Grand Slam debut as a wild card.
It took five blows of his racquet on the net tech to earn the fifth seed a code violation for abuse, with extra time needed for workers to sweep up debris from the broken bit of electronic kit.
After his blow-up Medvedev seemed to find the serenity needed to close out victory in three hours.
The player who became the new father of a second child a week ago, had a bawdy take on the newcomer:
“(If) he plays like this every match, life can be good, money, girls, casino, whatever – I wish he can play like this every match.”:
Medvedev added: “Second and third set I couldn’t touch the ball. Full power, everything in — I didn’t know what to do,” he said after crushing the player known as “Boom” in Thai tennis circles..
Fourth seed Taylor Fritz crushed compatriot Jenson Brooksby 6-2, 6-0, 6-3 in a no-nonsense win to move into the second round..
The American champion who helped his country to the United Cup title in Sydney this month, fired 34 winners as he defeated an opponent just back from an 18-month doping ban and a pair of wrist surgeries.
Last September’s US Open finalist Fritz earned minor revenge for a loss he took to Brooksby in New York four years ago.
“I’d say my confidence is pretty high, like an 8,” Fritz said. “I think sometimes when you’re playing really good at the end of the year, that off-season almost
kills a little bit of the momentum.
“I’ve been playing pretty well since the start of the year…United Cup I played pretty good. There’s no reason for me not to be very confident.”
Holger Rune earned his first win of the season after losing in the Brisbane first round, with the 13th-seeded Dane coming through in five sets to defeat China’s Zheng Zhizhen 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4.
The win was his first in five sets in Melbourne after losing in the 2022 first round and in the round of 16 a year later.
Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard salvaged a pair of match points in the third-set tiebreaker, but veteran French showman Gael Monfils would not be denied, claiming a 7-6 (7), 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-7 (5), 6-4 win just three days after winning the Auckland title.
“My age, it is just a number. But I can tell you that tomorrow morning I will be more 48 than 38,’ Monfils said..
“I was happy the way I responded physically, how I put my focus where I wanted it. At the end of the day, a win is a win. You’re satisfied with that.
“I’ve been working quite hard. When you can win one, two, three matches, it’s just like something you’re happy with and you want to keep going in this direction.”
Matteo Berrettini, the 2021 Wimbledon finalist who has not passed a Grand Slam fourth round since that highlight showing, staged a comeback to overhaul Britain’s Cam Norrie 6-7 (4), 6-4, 6-1, 6-3.
The Italian winner who has been dogged in recent seasons by injury, hit 32 aces, which accounted for just over half of his 63 winners.
He now tangles with Rune in the second round.
“I’m happy for my performance, it’s never easy to play the first round,” the semi-finalist here in 2022 said.
“I think I played a really good match. My backhand is better than three years ago; my return is better than three years ago.
“There is still room for improvement, luckily, and it’s just a matter of time and
matches and opportunities to play against the best in the world.”
Karen Khachanov, a semi-finalist here two years ago, handed a 7-6 (5), 6-3, 6-3 opening defeat to Frenchman Adrian Mannarino.
Alexander Zverev on Thursday made a long-sought after return to the Shanghai Masters semi-finals, booking his first final four at the event since 2019, defeating Alex de Minaur 6-4, 6-4.
The 2027 year-end No. 1 last got this far as the Covid pandemic began to surface in China in 2019. The event was not played 2020-2022, with the German making modest progress here over the past three editions since resumption.
After winning his 62nd match of the season, the 29-year-old was pleased with his performance.
“I think it was a huge step up. From just being on the court I felt both of us were playing really well.
“I was, a lot of the time, outhitting Alex, which is difficult to do from the baseline because he is so fast and he loves this kind of court speed here.
“I felt good and I’m happy with the step up from the past couple of matches.”
Zverev advanced in 78 minutes, sending over 10 aces as he defeated the Australian for the ninth time in their 13 matches.
Added the reigning Roland Garros and Flushing Meadows Grand Slam champion: “I’ve been handling pressure quite okay this year. In a way you play a bit more relaxed.
“Once Jannik (SInner) unfortunately announced he won’t play for the rest of the year, I’m 4,000 points ahead of everyone else, so I trust myself enough that I’m going to win [enough matches].
Zverev will play for the final to wrap up the Asian swing as he takes on Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, who advanced when Arthur Gea quit their quarter-final with injury.
Alexander Zverev marked his new status as sure-thing year-end No. 1 by reaching the quarter-finals of the Shanghai Masters on Tuesday by posting a fighting 7-6 (6), 4-6, 7-6 (1) victory over Alexander Bublik..
The 29-year-old German whose two Grand Slam titles this season and the absence of injured Jannik Sinner helped him into the top spot for the first time, needed to save four early set points and deal with an ank;e issue on his journey into the last eight.
Zverev moved through in just under two and three-quarter hours to set up a match with last week’s Beijing finalist Alex de Minaur, The Australian booked his spot over Karen Khachanov 6-3, 6-4.
Zverev will be playing in his 40th quarter-final in a Masters 1000 and is on the hunt for an eighth trophy this season.
He said his ankle was giving problems – but not enough to affect the match outcome.”It was kind of understandable because I have been playing a lot of tennis, which is kind of a good sign because I have been playing well.
“I’m starting to feel my body more and more but happy to get through. It was a difficult match because he has been playing amazing tennis,” he said after coming from a break down in the deciding set.
De Minaur has bounced back nicely in Shanghai after quitting the Tokyo final against Carlos Alcaraz with an adductor muscle injury.
Stefanos Tsitsipas willed himself to a 401st Tour win on Monday, with the Greek advancing to the Shanghai Masters 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, over world No. 12 Taylor Fritz to reach the fourth round.
The win leaves the Greek with a 5-2 record against the American in a series dating back nine years.
The cerebral Tsitsipas credited the victory to some simple mental gymnastics.
“I was manifesting today’s match and trying to put myself in a victorious situation,” he said.
“I’ve always had big fights against him. Some of my biggest matches were played facing him on the other side of the court. I had to up my level.
“Once I started doing that, a lot of doors were open and I was really able to unleash my biggest potential out there.”
The match ended on an unusual note as the ball twice fell from the pocket of Fritz, causing each of the points in question to be replayed.
Tsitsipas missed on three match points in the mistake-marred game but secured the fightback victory a game later after two and a quarter hours.
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