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Medvedev beats Open meltdown to advance

3 minute read

World No.4 Daniil Medvedev is into the Australian Open fourth round with a fiery five-set victory over Serbian Filip Krajinovic.

GRIGOR DIMITROV.
GRIGOR DIMITROV. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

Doing his idol John McEnroe proud, Daniil Medvedev delivered a spectacular multi-lingual outburst to keep his Australian Open title hopes alive at Melbourne Park.

The world No.4 extended his winning streak to 17 matches with a watershed 6-3 6-3 4-6 3-6 6-0 victory over Serbian Filip Krajinovic on Saturday.

But not before his coach stormed out of Rod Laver Arena mid-match after copping stunning verbal sprays from Medvedev in Russian, French and English.

"He said just before leaving that he was sure that I was going to win the match but that he's going to leave me alone to be more calm," Medvedev said.

"So I won't tell more because that was a good thing to do and luckily I won."

The 25-year-old's performance certainly impressed McEnroe, tennis's original super-brat saying in commentary that Medvedev was his favourite player on tour to watch.

"When John says some good things about me it just makes me happy," Medvedev said.

"He's an idol for many kids. He's a legend of our sport and what else can I say when someone like him says something good about you?

"It means you are doing things right."

Incredibly, it was Medvedev's first-ever five-set victory, having lost his previous six matches that have gone the distance - including the 2019 US Open final to Rafael Nadal.

"I remember many of those matches, three or four of them I was a break up," he said.

"I always say experience is important to me.

"As soon as I got the break today, I was under control in contrary to previous matches where I could get tight and start to rush things and make some errors.

"Here I was really calm to finish the match and I was really happy to get the first five-set win."

Medvedev had dropped just one set in his previous six matches this summer in guiding Russia to ATP Cup glory, then continuing his hot run at Melbourne Park.

He next plays unseeded American Mackenzie McDonald on Monday in his quest to earn an overdue maiden major.

McDonald moved into the fourth round with 7-6 (9-7) 6-1 6-4 win over South African Lloyd Harris.

"He's a really tricky opponent, a great player. Takes the ball early," Medvedev said of the world 192.

"I would say even playing a kind of Roger (Federer) style, trying to rush the net, rush the balls.

"So not easy to play."

Medvedev could run into his triumphant ATP Cup teammate Andrey Rublev if the two Russians win their next matches.

Seventh-seeded Rublev faces 24th seed Casper Ruud after the Norwegian beat Moldovan Radu Albot 6-1 5-7 6-4 6-4.

Greek fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas also progressed on Saturday with a 6-4 6-1 6-1 rout of Swede Mikael Ymer.

Tsitsipas will next play Italian Matteo Berrettini who beat Karen Khachanov 7-6 (7-1) 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (7-5).

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