Pretoria News

Medvedev stunned by Dimitrov

REIGNING US Open champion Daniil Medvedev joined the growing list of top-seed casualties at the ATP/WTA Indian Wells on Wednesday, losing in the fourth round to world No 28 Grigor Dimitrov 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.

Medvedev, who won his first Grand Slam title last month at Flushing Meadows, had not lost a set heading into the fourth round but dropped eight straight games, and had his serve broken six times against Dimitrov, en route to a stunning early exit for the top seed.

“I don’t remember myself losing three service games, even four service games ever on hard courts,” Medvedev said.

“That shows how slow this court is and the conditions, more like clay, which I don’t like. To lose four times the serve is just unacceptable. That’s why I lost the (second) set.”

World No 2 Medvedev did not take a break after his emotional US Open victory, and said his busy schedule may have finally caught up with him.

“I did feel exhausted in this tournament. Now I can say it. I couldn’t say it before my matches. There are a few physical things that have come up,” said Medvedev, who is hoping to eventually overtake World No 1 Novak

Djokovic.

Medvedev won the first set, was up 4-1 in the second and appeared to be cruising to another easy victory when the wheels came off: his unforced errors mounted and service game fell flat.

Medvedev had no answers for the way Dimitrov was playing, and predicted the Bulgarian would likely capture the title.

“If he plays like this, like the way he played me from 4-1, then he is going to win the tournament,” Medvedev said.

“He played the second half of the match better than anyone did against me at the US Open. It is not like I gave him the match.”

The match turned in the sixth game of the second set as Dimitrov broke Medvedev’s serve for the second time in the set to cut the Russian’s lead to 4-2.

Dimitrov held serve in the next game and then broke Medvedev’s serve twice more to take the set and lay the foundation for a dominating performance in the third.

The Bulgarian closed out the match on the first match point, when Medvedev blasted a forehand long.

Dimitrov will face Hubert Hurkacz in the quarter-finals.

SPORT

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2021-10-15T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-10-15T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://pretorianews.pressreader.com/article/282613150968008

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