Australian Open 2025: Medvedev One Of Nine Winners Who Went The Distance Down Under

Daniil Medvedev, Australian Open
Daniil Medvedev (photo: Australian Open TV/YouTube)

MELBOURNE/WASHINGTON, January 14, 2025 (by Michael Dickens)

World No. 5 Daniil Medvedev knows he plays better when he plays more tennis. Take his first-round match at the Australian Open Tuesday afternoon under breezy blue skies and sunshine, for instance.

The No. 5 seed from Russia, a three-time AO runner-up at Melbourne Park including last year, looked far from his best against 418th-ranked wild card Kasidit Samrej of Thailand on Rod Laver Arena. He trailed two sets to one against the young, 23-year-old Thai player, who was making his Grand Slam debut, before avoiding what would have been a huge – HUGE – upset.

As it happened, Medvedev went on to win, 6-2, 4-6, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2, in three hours and eight minutes to advance to the second round.

Medvedev’s 5-setter was one of nine men’s first-round matches that went the distance Tuesday. Among the other 5-set winners were: No. 13 seed Holger Rune of Denmark, Gaël Monfils of France, Daniel Altmaier of Germany, qualifier Tristan Boyer of the United States, Gabriel Diallo of Canada, Facundo Diaz Acosta of Argentina, Miomir Kecmanovic of Serbia, and American qualifier Learner Tien, who will be Medvedev’s second-round opponent.

“I know I play better when I play more tennis,” Medvedev joked, after finishing his first match of 2025 following the recent birth of his second daughter. “So, I was like, ‘Why play 1 hour and 30 [minutes]?’ You need minimum three hours, at least, to feel your shots better, to have a good sensation.”

Lost in the moment of victory, Medvedev became so frustrated during the match that he used his racquet to smash a micro-sized camera attached to the net while he was trailing 3-5 near the end of the third set. The incident came about after he squandered a point during an athletic back-and-forth 13-stroke rally. Medvedev earned a code violation warning for racquet abuse from chair umpire Damien Dumusois.

After refocusing himself, Medvedev went on to win 12 of the final 15 games, including 61 of the final 94 points, of the first-round match. He fired 24 aces and benefited from 69 unforced errors by Samrej.

“In the end of last year, this match, I probably would have lost it,” Medvedev said. “New year, new energy.”

Next Gen ATP Finals champ Fonseca stuns Rublev

Next Gen ATP Finals champion Joao Fonseca stunned World No. 9 Andrey Rublev, 7-6 (1), 6-3, 7-6 (5), to win his Grand Slam main draw debut on Margaret Court Arena Tuesday evening.

The 18-year-old from Brazil, who won the Next Gen ATP Finals title in December, captured his second ATP Challenger crown in Canberra earlier this month in preparation for the AO. He advanced through three rounds of qualifying last week without dropping a set.

With his confidence building win by win, the World No. 112 from Rio de Janeiro played fearless tennis against the Russian Rublev, eight years his senior, throughout the two-hour, 23-minute battle. He hit well off both wings and with plenty of support from Brazilian fans, Fonseca pulled off the biggest upset of the first week in Melbourne.

Fonseca finished with 14 aces and 51 winners overall. He won 79 percent of his first-serve points and outpointed Rublev 122-103. By the end, he received a warm embrace from the fallen but smiling Rublev as they met at the net.

“I just enjoyed every moment on this amazing court, it’s my first time playing in a huge stadium,” Fonseca said in his on-court interview. “I want to thank this amazing crowd. There are some Brazilians here … A lot of Brazilians here cheering for me!

“I was trying to not put pressure on myself, playing with a Top-10 guy in a huge stadium. [I was] trying to call the crowd to help me. I enjoyed playing my game. That’s one thing about myself, is that I play better in the important points. I go for my shots. That was the difference today.”

Next, Fonseca, who is up to 98th in the ATP Live Rankings and has won 14 straight matches at all levels, will play Lorenzo Sonego of Italy. The 55th-ranked Italian defeated 2014 Australian Open champion Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland, 6-4, 5-7, 7-5, 7-5. The 39-year-old Wawrinka, currently ranked 156th, entered the main draw with a wild card.

Another winning day for American men and women

With the first round of the Australian Open complete, the United States continues to do well Down Under. A total of 11 American men and eight American women have advanced to the second round, most of any country. By comparison, host Australia has advanced five men and three women to the round of 64.

Among the American winners on Tuesday were:

• World No. 4 Taylor Fritz, who defeated fellow American Jenson Brooksby, 6-2, 6-0, 6-3, in an hour and 46 minutes on John Cain Arena. Last year’s US Open finalist Fritz hit 34 winners and converted six of seven break points against the unranked Brooksby, who was playing in his first event since the 2023 AO. Since then, he’s had surgery on both wrists and served a 13-month anti-doping suspension.

“I’m super happy with how the match went,” Fritz said afterward. “It’s never easy playing the first match of Slams with a bit of nerves. I did a good job shaking that off early and getting it done in straights.”

• World No. 21 Ben Shelton defeated No. 35 Brandon Nakashima, 7-6 (3), 7-5, 7-5, in two hours and 40 minutes on 1573 Arena, in another all-American clash. Shelton hit 12 aces and clocked 219 km/h with his fastest serve. He struck 44 winners to 29 for Nakashima and outpointed his opponent 116-108.

• World No. 8 Emma Navarro was pushed to three sets by fellow American Peyton Stearns in a battle of former NCAA singles champions (Navarro at the University of Virginia in 2021 and Stearns at the University Texas in 2022) before escaping with a 6-7 (5), 7-6 (5), 7-5 victory in three hours and 20 minutes on Rod Laver Arena. Navarro overcame 59 unforced errors by hitting 38 winners while converted eight of 15 break points against the 46th-ranked Stearns.

“One of the more unique matches I’ve played in a while,” Navarro said during her post-match news conference. “It was just relying a lot, I guess, on my grit and toughness and fight.

“I just kept telling myself there at the end, ‘Make the most of the skills I have today.’ I think maybe that’s something that kind of clicked there for me at the end.”

• A month shy of turning 30, two-time AO semifinalist and current World No. 14 Madison Keys advanced with a 68-minute 6-4, 7-5 win over 84th-ranked fellow American Ann Li on John Cain Arena for her sixth consecutive win of the Australian summer.

“I feel like I’m getting older and everyone else is getting younger somehow,” the No. 19 seed Keys, who earlier this month won the title at Adelaide, told the WTA website.

Around the Australian Open

• Italy’s Matteo Berrettini struck 32 aces during his 6-7 (4), 6-4, 6-1, 6-3 win over No. 52 Cameron Norrie of Great Britain in a clash of former Top 10 stars. The 2022 AO semifinalist has reached the second week of a major just once in the past two years while battling injuries.

Next, the 34th-ranked Berrettini will oppose World No. 13 Holger Rune of Denmark, who was pushed to the limit in defeating No. 49 Zhang Zhizhen of China, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, in three hours and 10 minutes on Margaret Court Arena. Rune accumulated 62 winners and took advantage of 41 unforced errors by Zhang.

• In an all-Italian match-up that stretched for over four hours on Kia Arena, World No. 15 Lorenzo Musetti, seeded 16th, defeated No. 39 Matteo Arnaldi, 7-6 (4), 4-6, 7-6 (5), 6-3, to advance to the second round against No. 56 Denis Shapovalov of Canada, who rallied to beat No. 53 Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (8).

• No. 65 Corentin Moutet of France outlasted No. 25 seed Alexei Popyrin of Australia, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4, in raucous encounter that lasted three hours and 34 minutes on John Cain Arena.

• World No. 6 Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan, last year’s finalist, needed only 53 minutes to defeat 16-year-old Australian wild card Emerson Jones, 6-1, 6-1. Rybakina slugged 26 winners, including 11 aces, and broke the Junior World No. 1 Jones’ serve five times in seven attempts.

“Very happy with the performance, with the way I served also today,” Rybakina said during her post-match news conference. “Looking forward for the next match.”

Next, Rybakina will oppose 17-year-old Junior World No. 2 Iva Jovic of the United States, who advanced with a 6-2, 6-1 win over No. 99 Nuria Parrizas Diaz of Spain.

• No. 59 Camila Osorio of Colombia upset No. 31 seed Maria Sakkari of Greece, 6-4, 6-7 (4), 6-4, to set up a second-round match against former World No. 2 Ons Jabeur. The 39th-ranked Tunisian defeated No. 48 Angelina Kalinina of Ukraine, 6-3, 6-3.

Tuesday’s Australian Open results

Wednesday’s Australian Open order of play

By the numbers

In 2024, World No. 4 Jasmine Paolini became the first Italian in the Open Era to reach the women’s singles round of 16 at all four Grand Slam events in a single calendar year. She was a finalist at Roland-Garros and Wimbledon. Playing in her sixth Australian Open, her best finish came last year when she advanced to the fourth round. On Tuesday, Paolini defeated 117th-ranked Chinese qualifier Wei Jijia, 6-0, 6-4, in just 73 minutes on Margaret Court Arena to advance to the second round against No. 70 Renata Zarazua of Mexico.

“Quotable …”

“2024 was a special year. It ended in the best possible way. I’m very happy that happened. But saying that … She’s playing right now. So, I better get out there and watch.”

– World No. 8 Alex de Minaur of Australia, during his on-court interview, following his 6-1, 7-5, 6-4 first-round win over No. 84 Botic van de Zandschulp of the Netherlands on Rod Laver Arena Tuesday night. He was speaking about his engagement to 22nd-ranked British tennis star Katie Boulter, who was playing on Court 3 at the same time as him, and defeated No. 98 Rebecca Marino of Canada, 6-4, 3-6, 7-5.

 

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