NEW DELHI:
Daniil Medvedev
staged a remarkable comeback from the brink to defeat
Alexander Zverev
5-7, 3-6, 7-6(4), 7-6(5), 6-3 in a captivating semi-final match on Friday, securing his spot in the Australian Open title clash.
The third seed is now vying for his second Grand Slam trophy after facing heartbreak in consecutive final defeats at Melbourne Park in 2021 and 2022 against Novak Djokovic and
Rafael Nadal
.
Medvedev aims to turn his fortunes around when he faces Italian youngster
Jannik Sinner
in the final on Sunday.
Positioning himself strategically well behind the baseline, Russian player Medvedev effectively countered Zverev's powerful serves and prolonged the rallies.
Despite facing an early deficit due to a series of double faults, he showcased resilience by clawing his way back from two breaks down, eventually leveling the score at 5-5.
Zverev struck again to move in front and raised his arms to huge applause after taking the first set with a superb backhand volley, having set up the opportunity by winning the previous point after an exhausting 51-shot rally.
The 26-year-old came into the net more and broke for a 3-2 lead in the second set which effectively helped him wrap it up, but Medvedev did not give up despite looking like he had just run a marathon and pinched the third set in a tiebreak.
Medvedev continued to push hard in a tense fourth set and the 27-year-old shrugged off a double fault in the tiebreak to level the contest, before breaking in the fifth game of the decider to lay the platform for his great escape.
(With inputs from Reuters)
English (US) ·