Daniil Medvedev continued his quest for a second US Open title with a hard-fought straight-sets win over Andrey Rublev in the quarter-finals on what was a humid Wednesday afternoon.
The third seed battled to a 6-4, 6-3, 6-4, win over Rublev who is also the godfather to his daughter, Alisa. However, Medvedev’s latest victory was far from simple with the world No.3 having to come from behind on multiple occasions and he had two medical timeouts for some assistance from the doctor. He has now reached the semi-finals in Flushing Meadows in four out of his five most recent appearances.
Playing in the sweltering heat, the weather visibly impacted the playing performances of both players who hit more unforced errors than winners. During the match, forecasters estimated the temperature to be around 34 degrees which was adjusted to 37 degrees due to 43% humidity at the venue.
“It was brutal. The only good thing I see in these conditions is that both of us suffer,” Medvedev said after his latest win.
“There were some ups and downs but that is normal. Honestly, at the end of the first set, I couldn’t kind of see the ball anymore. I kind of played with sensations, you know, tried to go for it. He (Rublev) did the same. It was super tough to win.”
Immediately Medvedev found himself in trouble after losing the first 10 points played in the match. Down 0-3, he swiftly managed to turn his fortunes around with the help of some inconsistent shot-making coming from across the court. Paving the way for him to win six out of the next seven games to clinch the opener.
The roller-coaster continued into the second set as both struggled to hold serve. Four out of five games played ended with the server getting broken. Medvedev managed to weather the storm as he edged to a 4-3 lead before another twist unfolded with play being paused due to a medical timeout. The former world No.1 requested to see a doctor who gave him an inhaler to help with his breathing. He was also heard on camera complaining about some sort of pain in his stomach.
Ironically after the doctor left the court, it was Rublev who began to struggle in the heat as he struggled to find a solution to Medvedev’s defensive play. To add to his frustration, he failed to convert three break points which would have enabled him to draw level at 4-4. After missing those opportunities, he won no more games in the second frame.
Medvedev was given an inhaler for the second time after falling behind 1-2 in the third set before making an alarming comment on the conditions a few minutes later.
“One day a player’s gonna die and they’re gonna see,” he said directly to a camera on the court.
Eventually, the 27-year-old prevailed in the heat after more than two-and-a-half hours of play. After failing to convert four match points, he triumphed on his fifth attempt after a Rublev forehand slammed into the net.
“He never gives up but the thing is that he knows that I never do too,” Medvedev said of Rublev.
Medvedev has now recorded 28 wins at the US Open with a win rate of 88%. He has dropped just two sets in five matches played in this year’s tournament so far.
“Ten out of ten,” the 2021 champion replied when asked to rate his current form. “Starting from the third set of my match against (Chris) O’Connell (in the second round) they didn’t want to give me anything and every match was a hell of a fight.’
“I’m through to the semis, that is great. I am looking forward to seeing the match tonight and preparing for the winner.”
Medvedev will play either reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz or Alexander Zverev in the semi-finals on Friday.
