2021 US Open champion Daniil Medvedev became the first player at the ongoing Australian Open to come back from two sets down to win the next three and end up victorious, as he propelled himself into the fourth round of the tournament after surviving a massive scare.
Medvedev will take on 25th seed Learner Tien of the United States in the last 16, a rematch of their late-night five-set thriller last year when the latter shocked Medvedev in the second round of a match that ended just before 3 am.
The gutsy Medvedev on Friday fought back from two sets down against unseeded Fabian Marozsan of Hungary.
Before Medvedev, the likes of Jiri Lehecka (lost to Arthur Gea), Arthur Rinderknech (lost to Marozsan) and Tallon Griekspoor (lost to Ethan Quinn) all lost after
giving away the first two sets of their match.
Medvedev, who had a wretched record at the majors last year, scraped through 6-7 (5/7), 4-6, 7-5, 6-0, 6-3 in 3hr 43min.
It was the fifth time in his career that Medvedev had come back from two sets down to win a match.
“Five sets again,” Medvedev wrote afterwards on the on-court camera.
“It was a very tough match. I managed to stay strong and I am happy about it. He played really well and I was like, if I lose, I lose, but I am going to fight,” Medvedev said after the match.
The sometimes combustible Medvedev was pleased that he kept his volatile temper under control.
“I did manage to stay calm, even in the fifth set and managed to hit some good shots even in the fifth,” Medvedev said.
Marozsan, ranked 47, was bidding to reach the last 16 of a Grand Slam for the first time.
They exchanged breaks to start in a sign of things to come. The two players went to a first-set tiebreak, where the Hungarian edged in front and held his nerve on his second set point.
