Medvedev remains firm at the Australian Open

The Russian Daniil Medvedev, second seed and top seed in the absence of the Serbian Novak Djokovic, beat the Dutch Botic van de Zandschulp 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 and advanced to the round of 16 of the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam of the tennis season.

The 25-year-old Muscovite, finalist of the last edition, will face in the next round the American Maxime Cressy (70th), who won over the Australian Christopher O’Connell, executioner of the Argentine Diego Schwartzman.

Completed his victory in 1 hour and 56 minutes, Medvedev sought a reconciliation with the local crowd, which he verbally attacked (“They have a low IQ”) for the boos suffered during his previous victory over Australian Nick Kyrgios.

“I was hoping you guys would be a little nicer to me,” the world No. 2 joked. “Any good relationship has its ups and downs, so I think it’s good, it’s entertaining and it’s real, a relationship is developing,” he told spectators at Margaret Court Arena.

The Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas, fourth seed, qualified for the round of 16 with victory over the Frenchman Benoît Paire 6-3, 7-5, 6-7 (2), 6-4 and waits for the American Taylor Fritz (20th) , who fired the Spanish Roberto Bautista-Agut (15th) 6-0, 3-6, 3-6, 6-4 and 6-3. The experienced Croatian Marin Cilic (33 years old), a finalist in 2018, showed the exit to the fifth seed, the Russian Andrey Rublev, after prevailing 7-5, 7-6 (3), 3-6, 6-3 in 2 hours and 36 minutes. His next opponent will be the young Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime (21), ninth favorite, winner in straight sets of British Daniel Evans (24th): 6-4, 6-1 and 6-1. Alex de Minaur (32nd) is the only Australian still in the race for the title after beating Spaniard Pablo Andújar 6-4, 6-4, 6-2. In the round of 16 they will face the Italian Jannik Sinner (11th), who defeated the Japanese Taro Daniel 6-4, 1-6, 6-3, 6-1.

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In the women’s draw, World No. 2 Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka came back from a set down against Czech Marketa Vondrousova and moved into the second week with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 win. In the second round, Sabalenka will face the Estonian veteran Kaia Kanepi, 115 in the world, executioner of the Australian Maddison Inglis 2-6, 6-2, 6-0.

The Romanian former number 1 Simona Halep easily won 6-2 and 6-1 over the Montenegrin Danka Kovinic, who in the previous round had given the big surprise by eliminating the British Emma Raducanu, current champion of the US Open. Halep will face France’s Alizé Cornet in the round of 16, who eliminated Slovenia’s Tamara Zidansek 4-6, 6-4, 6-2. Meanwhile, the Polish Iga Swiatek (9th), Roland Garros champion in 2020, advanced to the round with a victory over the Russian Daria Kasatkina (23rd) 6-2, 6-3 and will play her next match against the Romanian Sorana Cirstea.

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