Aus Open: Medvedev Escapes Historic Upset Against Samrej

Key Takeaways

Medvedev's comeback victory showcased his resilience.
Samrej demonstrated impressive skills during crucial moments.
Medvedev's unforced errors were unusually high.
Samrej suffered cramping issues but showed great fighting spirit.
Next, Medvedev faces another debutant, Learner Tien.

Melbourne, Jan 14 (NationPress) In a thrilling first-round encounter, Daniil Medvedev, a three-time finalist at Melbourne Park, narrowly avoided a significant upset by coming back to win against World No. 418 Kasidit Samrej from Thailand with a score of 6-2, 4-6, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2.

Medvedev's mid-match difficulties were evident in his unusually high count of unforced errors, totaling 34, with 17 occurring during the second and third sets, as per tournament statistics.

Samrej displayed remarkable composure at crucial moments, especially when he held serve from a 3-3, 0/40 situation, which helped him secure the third set. He also showcased clever drop shots, making an impressive debut on the Grand Slam stage.

After losing the third set, Medvedev reached a mental low, falling behind to the Thai wildcard in an unexpected twist. He vented his frustration by slamming his racquet into the net multiple times, causing damage to a nearby camera.

Despite leading two sets to one after dropping the first set, Samrej couldn't sustain his challenge to achieve what would have been the lowest-ranked upset against a top-five seed in the Open Era.

“I observed his matches and didn’t expect this level, so I was taken aback. If he can maintain this performance consistently, it would be great for him... though not when facing me. Consistency is key in tennis, and I hope he achieves that,” Medvedev remarked in his on-court interview.

Samrej, who has never contested more than three sets in a professional match, consumed pickle juice to alleviate cramping issues in the fourth set. During that set, Medvedev regained his dominance, breaking Samrej's serve twice in both the fourth and fifth sets, leading to a victory that lasted three hours and eight minutes.

In the second round, Medvedev will face another debutant, Learner Tien, who previously triumphed over Camilo Ugo Carabelli with a score of 4-6, 7-6(3), 6-3, 5-7, 6-4.