Medvedev nixes Kyrgios’ charge
Melbourne, Jan. 20: Daniil Medvedev tamed Nick Kyrgios to surge into the Australian Open third round on Thursday and avoid joining Garbine Muguruza and Emma Raducanu on the list of high-profile casualties.
Also out on a day of shocks was former world number one Andy Murray, losing to Japanese qualifier Taro Daniel in straight sets, as the Grand Slam roared into life on day four.
Second seed Medvedev is the highest seed left in the men’s draw and the favourite after the deportation of reigning champion Novak Djokovic on the eve of the tournament.
It was a madhouse inside Rod Laver Arena with showman Kyrgios dealing out all his assortment of unplayable serves and tweeners before a partisan home crowd, while embroiled in a running battle with the chair umpire.
But calculating Medvedev dealt with it all to ease through 7-6 (7/1), 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 and will now face Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp in the third round.
Medvedev was not happy with some of the antics of the crowd.
Greek fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas, chasing a maiden major, also fought his way through 76 (7/1), 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 6-4 over former world number one junior Sebastian Baez of Argentina.
There was to be no fairytale run for Britain’s three-time major champion Murray, going down 64, 6-4, 6-4 to 120th-ranked Daniel, who moves into the third round of a Slam for the first time.
WOMEN SEEDS OUT
There were more shocks in the women’s draw, with third seed Muguruza, US Open champion Raducanu and sixth seed Anett Kontaveit all suffering upsets.
The 19-year-old Raducanu, the 17th seed but making her debut in Melbourne, struggled with blisters on her serving hand as Montenegro’s Danka Kovinic defeated the Briton 6-4, 4-6, 6-3.
WTA Finals winner Muguruza is also out, losing 6-3, 6-3 to 61st-ranked veteran Alize Cornet.
Kontaveit, seen by many as a serious title contender after a breakout 2021, committed 27 unforced errors as she was stunned 6-2, 6-4 by fast-rising Danish teenager Clara Tauson.
SANIA-RAM ADVANCE
Sania Mirza and her American partner Rajeev Ram moved into the mixed doubles second round with a confident straight-set win over the Serbian team of Aleksandra Krunic and Nikola Cacic. Ram and Sania won 6-3, 7-6(3) in the opening round that lasted 69 minutes.