Medvedev cruises into potential meet vs. No. 1 Djokovic
Daniil Medvedev had trouble pronouncing the name of his upcoming opponent, qualifier Botic Van de Zandschulp, before they faced off Tuesday in the U.S. Open quarterfinals.
He had an easier time dispatching the Dutchman at Arthur Ashe Stadium, though Medvedev dropped a set for the first time during the Open fortnight.
Medvedev, a 2019 Open finalist, led 2-0 before Van de Zandschulp won to force a tough fourth set. The Russian held on for a 6-3, 6-0, 4-6, 7-5 triumph and moved into his third straight semifinals.
“Amazing run to go from qualies to quarters and he had a lot of tough matches,’’ Medvedev said on court. “An amazing level from him in the third and fourth set. He continues to play like this, he’ll be top 30, 40 minimum.”
Medvedev will play the winner of Tuesday night’s Felix Auger-AliassimeCarlos Alcaraz Garfia match.
On the easier side of the draw, Medvedev and Novak Djokovic appear on a collision course for history with the Serbian trying to win the Grand Slam. Unlike Djokovic, Medvedev has seen little drama along the way and was cruising to a straightset snooze until Van de Zandschulp awoke.
Djokovic has lost a set in three of his first four matches. In the quarterfinals
Wednesday, he will face Italian Matteo Berrettini, who gave him a good go of it in the Wimbledon finals.
A terrific server with artistic angles, Medvedev, at 6-foot-6, may have enough in his arsenal to take out Djokovic, who hasn’t been at the top of his game.
“I don’t think about him, because as we saw, anybody can beat anybody,’’
said Medvedev, who lost in the 2020 Open semifinals to eventual champion Dominic Thiem. “If he’s in the final, and if I’m there, I’m happy. He’s also happy. He plays on the days where I don’t play, [so] I watch his matches just because I enjoy watching tennis. I’m not going to root or cheer for somebody. I’m just gonna enjoy the tennis and then prepare for the winner.’’
Van de Zandschulp gave the fans a lot to cheer about during his stirring run to the quarterfinals after getting through the qualifiers. That meant the 25-yearold had won seven matches just to get to Tuesday in his first trip to the United States.
He had entered the event ranked No. 117 and benefitted from the event missing four former Open champions in Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Stan Wawrinka and Thiem. But now a lot of tennis fans know his name.
Medvedev overpowered a suddenly tentative Van de Zandschulp with his serve in the first two sets before the Dutchman awoke behind a crowd pulling for more tennis.
They got it — at least for one more set.
“It was great — you saw some Dutch people in there,’’ Van de Zandschulp said. “It’s tough to believe still that I was here in the quarters and that I make such an impact on those people and on the Dutch guys. It’s great that they want to support me here.’’