2021, 2022 runner-up Daniil Medvedev crashes out in 3rd round of Australian Open

Former World No.1 and seventh seed Daniil Medvedev was on Friday stunned by American 29th seed Sebastian Korda in the third round of the 2023 Australian Open. Medvedev, who was runner-up in the 2021 and 2022 editions of the tournament, ended up losing the match in straight sets, with the scoreline reading 7-6 (9-7), 6-4, 7-6 (7-1) in Korda’s favour.

The first set lasted 85 minutes and while Korda, son of 1998 Australian Open champion Petr Korda, seemed to be running away with it when he took a 4-2 lead in the third, Medvedev fought back to lead 5-4. It was the first time in the match that the 26-year-old Russian was leading in a set. The set eventually went into a tie-break which the American dominated and won 7-1.

Medvedev had earlier reached the third round after braving a partisan crowd while beating John Millman 7-5, 6-2, 6-2. The Russian dropped just three games in a demolition of Marcos Giron in the first round, but met stiffer resistance initially from Millman, with plenty of long rallies. “Unbelievable match, I knew what I had to do and stuck with it even when I was going up and down emotionally,” said Korda after the match. The 22-year-old, who had won the junior title at the 2018 Australian Open, has reached his best-ever performance at a Grand Slam by reaching the Round of 16, where he will face Polish 10th seed Hubert Hurkacz.

Medvedev won the U.S. Open two years ago and made it to the final in Australia in 2021, when he lost to Novak Djokovic, and 2022, when he lost to Rafael Nadal after holding a two-set lead. Medvedev had lost the 2021 final to Novak Djokovic and the 2022 title match to Rafael Nadal.

In February 2022, Medvedev became the first man apart from Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray to hold the No.1 spot in the ATP rankings since Andy Roddick in 2004. He was also the third Russian man following Yevgeny Kafelnikov in 1999 and Marat Safin in 2000 to have taken the top spot.