2022 Australian Open: Medvedev wins five-set thriller; Tsitsipas progresses
What's the story
Russian men's tennis ace Daniil Medvedev fought back in style to beat Felix Auger-Aliassime in a crunch quarter-final clash at the 2022 Australian Open. Medvedev , who was two sets down, fought back to defeat the 21-year-old Aliassime 6-7, 3-6, 7-6, 7-5, 6-4. Earlier, Greek sensation Stefanos Tsitsipas overcame Jannik Sinner to reach the semis. Tsitsipas won the tie 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.
Context
Why does it matter?
This was a monstrous comeback by Medvedev in a match where he was 2-0 down. He managed to prevail in the third set which went to a tie-breaker. Another 7-5 win followed before he broke his opponent to take the fifth set. It was pure entertainment as both players were involved in long rallies and won terrific points, keeping the fans excited.
Stats
Medvedev seals his 50th Slam win
Medvedev, who won the 2021 US Open honor, has reached his fifth semi-final at Grand Slams. The 2021 Australian Open finalist has reached a second semi-final in Melbourne. He now has raced to a 18-5 win-loss record at AO. Overall, Medvedev claimed his 50th win at Slams. He has a win-loss record of 50-18.
Information
Medvedev is 188-65 on hard courts
Medvedev is 188-65 on hard courts. As many as 12 of his total 13 singles titles have come on this surface (2018: Tokyo, Winston-Salem, Sydney. 2019: Shanghai Masters, St Petersburg, Cincinnati Masters, Sofia. 2020: ATP Finals, Paris Masters. 2021: US Open, Canada Masters, Marseille).
Details
Tsitsipas too good for Sinner
Tsitsipas sealed the opening set in 36 minutes and broke early in the second. After an 18-minute rain break, the players returned and Tsitsipas continued with his momentum, pocketing the second set. Sinner couldn't match Tsitsipas' serve as the Greek broke early in the third, sealing the moment with a stunning backhand winner. Tsitsipas broke again before winning two hours six minutes.
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Key feats achieved by Tsitsipas
Tsitsipas has improved to 4-0 in Grand Slam quarter-finals. He has reached his third Australian Open semi-final and a second in succession. He has improved his AO win-loss record to 15-4. Overall, Tsitsipas has a 38-17 win-loss record at Grand Slams.
Reaction
I tried to focus on my best shots, says Tsitsipas
Reflecting on his match, Tsitsipas said he tried to focus on his best shots and it paid off. "Jannik is a very good player. So I tried to focus on my best shots and it paid off more than I thought," Tsitsipas said. He also expressed his happiness with his serve today and the tactics he used, besides highlighting the crowd support.