Medvedev humbles Garin, qualifies for his first French Open quarter-final
What's the story
World number two Daniil Medvedev has qualified for his first quarter-final at the French Open. He claimed a straight-set victory over Cristian Garin (6-2, 6-1, 7-5) in the fourth round that ran for two hours and four minutes. The Russian, who secured his fourth match win at the Roland Garros, has dropped only a solitary set as of now. Here is more.
Match
How did the match pan out?
Medvedev broke Garin's serve twice in the first set to win 6-2. He was on the charge in the second set too, and took only 38 minutes to close it. Garin made a brief comeback in the following set by winning the first three games. Medvedev eventually had the last laugh as he ended up winning the set 7-5.
Information
Medvedev struck a total of 14 aces
Medvedev struck a total of 14 aces and 46 winners in the match. He won 49 percent of the receiving points (45/92). On the other hand, Garin clinched 12 out of 18 net points. He also committed less unforced errors (29) than Medvedev (32).
Opportunity
Medvedev can become the new world number one
Before the fortnight, Medvedev had a 0-4 record at Roland Garros. Now, he has an opportunity to dethrone Novak Djokovic and become the top-ranked player. Medvedev will claim the top spot (after the tournament) if he qualifies for the final, and Djokovic loses before the championship match. Notably, the former has lost just one set en route to the quarter-finals in Paris.
Clash
Medvedev will face Stefanos Tsitsipas in the quarter-final
Entering this event, Medvedev was 1-2 on clay this year, including a three-set loss to Garin in Madrid. The Russian has now advanced to his fourth Grand Slam quarter-final. Medvedev will next play fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas, who defeated Pablo Carreno Busta earlier in the day. The former leads the head-to-head series 6-1, including a win in the 2021 Australian Open semi-finals.