Daniil Medvedev Survives Early Scare at Australian Open

Daniil Medvedev had a tumultuous first-round match at the Australian Open, nearly facing a shocking defeat to world number 418 Kasidit Samrej. The Russian a three-time Melbourne finalist, struggled emotionally as he battled through a five-set thriller. After falling behind in the third set, Medvedev smashed his racquet against a net camera, destroying it in frustration.

Despite this, Samrej a wildcard making his Grand Slam debut, faltered physically after a strong start. Daniil Medvedev regained his focus to secure a 6-2, 4-6, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 victory, narrowly avoiding one of the biggest upsets of his career. Known for his resilience in extended matches, this marked his fourth consecutive five-set contest in Melbourne. The fifth seed joked during his on-court interview, saying, “It’s minimum three hours to feel my shots better.”

Medvedev’s frustration was evident early in the second set and his emotions boiled over in the third, leading to the racquet incident.  Afterward, he joked that the camera held up better than his racquet, adding, “I hope the fine is not too big.” In other matches, 38-year-old Gael Monfils defeated 21-year-old Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in another five-set thriller.

Monfils, the oldest ATP Tour champion, dismissed age as just a number, despite his win being a physical battle. Meanwhile, Taylor Fritz dominated with a 6-2, 6-0, 6-3 win against Jenson Brooksby and Alex de Minaur triumphed in straight sets over Botic van de Zandschulp. Danish 13th seed Holger Rune needed five sets to beat Zhang Zhizhen while ninth seed Andrey Rublev suffered a shock straight-set defeat to 18-year-old Joao Fonseca.