MELBOURNE, 24 Jan: US Open champion Daniil Medvedev has advanced to the Australian Open quarterfinals with a 6-2, 7-6 (4), 6-7 (4), 7-5 win over Maxime Cressy.
The No. 2-ranked Medvedev is trying to be the first man in the Open era to win his second major singles title in the next Grand Slam event.
He’s now potentially three wins from winning back-to-back major titles.
Medvedev was a runner-up in Australia last year but avenged that with a win over Novak Djokovic in the US Open final.
Djokovic isn’t defending his Australian Open title after being deported on the eve of the year’s first major for failing to meet the country’s strict COVID-19 vaccination rules.
Medvedev had to struggle against the No. 70-ranked Cressy in a match lasting three and hours. Cressy saved eight break-point chances in the fourth set before Medvedev got the decisive break in the 11th game, then served out at love to finish it off.
Medvedev will next play ninth-seeded Felix Auger-Aliassime, who beat 2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic 2-6, 7-6 (7), 6-2, 7-6 (4).
Medvedev beat the Canadian in the semifinals at last year’s US Open.
Tsitisipas advances
Stefanos Tsitsipas advanced to the quarterfinals at the Australian Open in the final two matches on Day 8 of the tournament.
The fourth-seeded Tsitsipas beat Taylor Fritz 4-6, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the men’s fourth round on Rod Laver Arena and the 115th-ranked Kanepi upset second-seeded Aryna Sabalenka 5-7, 6-2, 7-6 (7).
Tsitsipas last year rallied from two sets down to beat Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals before losing to Daniil Medvedev in the semifinals. He went on to reach the French Open final.
Fritz was playing in the fourth round of a major for the first time.
Sinner ousts De Minaur to reach first Australian Open quarter-final
Italian Jannick Sinner reached the Australian Open quarter-finals for the first time with a convincing victory over local hope Alex de Minaur on Monday.
Sinner, who also reached the last eight on his French Open debut in 2020, came through a testing opening set to win 7-6(3) 6-3 6-4 in two hours and 35 minutes.
The 11th seed will play the winner of the clash between Greek fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas and American Taylor Fritz, who play later on Monday on Rod Laver Arena.
“In the beginning, I was serving well. He had more chances than me in the first set and after that, I tried to push a little bit more,” Sinner said.
“I have gained a lot of experience in the last couple of months and I think I have grown as a player and a person.”
De Minaur had chances to break the Italian in the opening two service games but was unable to convert the opportunities.
In the tiebreaker, Sinner was able to stretch away from his rival to gain the initial advantage in an opening set that lasted an hour and 11 minutes.
Sinner carried the momentum into the second set when breaking the 32nd-seeded Australian to lead 2-0 and broke his opponent’s serve again in the third set.
De Minaur broke back but Sinner’s brilliant shot-making proved too good for him. (AP)