I asked myself: What would Djokovic do?
Medvedev winds up Melbourne crowd after epic comeback win
EVEN when the best match of the tournament is playing out, it seems like this Australian Open cannot escape the shadow of Novak Djokovic.
Having saved a match point to win an epic quarter-final against Felix Auger-Aliassime, the mischievous Daniil Medvedev could not resist bringing the world No 1 into proceedings.
Reflecting on the crisis points that occurred in a four-hour-and42-minute comeback, the Russian told the crowd that he channelled his inner Djokovic to overcome the gifted young Canadian.
‘I don’t know if people are going to like it but I told myself, “What would Novak do?” ’ said Medvedev during his on-court interview after a 6-7, 3-6, 7-6, 7-5, 6-4 victory that put him into the semi-finals. It elicited boos from the latenight Rod Laver Arena crowd.
The 25-year-old later explained: ‘I was like, what would the best players in the world do? Which I’m part of, but still young.
‘During all the matches, as soon as I was down a little bit, I was like: just be like Novak. Show him that you are better.’
Something of a wind-up merchant, Medvedev expected the arena to be aggravated by his reference: ‘They booed. As a person, I’m trying to be honest of course. We live in the time where you cannot say everything you think. Their reaction, I try to be honest with them, to tell them how I felt during the match.’
The Russian, who is the highest seed in Djokovic’s absence, had slammed a service winner when match point down at 4-5 in the third set against an inspired Auger-Aliassime.
He then staged the first comeback of the whole event from two sets down, reminiscent of what one might have seen from the Serb.
Djokovic’s next move is still awaited. He is on the list to play in Dubai next month, but there has been no confirmation from the tournament and the player’s website remains blank on where he will return, so it is far from assured.
Medvedev is a regular practice partner of Djokovic as well as being his rival. He stands two matches away from the enormous feat of backing up his first Grand Slam title (the US Open) with one straight afterwards, something none of the ‘Big Three’ managed.
Standing in his way is fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas, who crushed the young Italian Jannik Sinner with surprising ease, winning 6-3, 6-4, 6-2. In tomorrow’s other semi-final, Rafael Nadal will take on Matteo Berrettini.
Londoner Joe Salisbury was this morning competing in his seventh Grand Slam semi-final as he and partner Rajeev Ram sought to defend their men’s doubles title.
They were taking on Australians Matthew Ebden and Max Purcell, with the possibility of facing Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis, who were due to compete at the same time. Home favourites Kyrgios and Kokkinakis have been whipping up the crowds all week, with the former being described as ‘an absolute knob with the maturity of a 10-yearold’ by New Zealander Michael Venus, who they defeated in the quarter-finals.
After winning their last-eight match yesterday, Salisbury was a little more discreet but commented on their behaviour: ‘Some of it is borderline. I think it is great to have a lot of support and the crowd really getting into it and getting a bit rowdy but you do want them to be respectful of the players as well. You have got to have a strong umpire to manage it.
‘Sometimes it’s a bit over the top, over the line.’
• BRITAIN had success to celebrate in the wheelchair events yesterday. Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid took the men’s wheelchair doubles title while Andy Lapthorne and his American partner David Wagner lifted the trophy in the quad doubles.