It was long (3:17), physically painful and long tangent in the game, but Daniil Medvedev is still standing. Winner of Alexander Zverev 6-7 (5), 7-6 (5), 7-5, the Russian signed this Tuesday in California his 17th success in a row. He reached the quarter-finals of the Indian Wells Masters 1000 for the first time in his career. Until then, he had not done better than eighth finalist in 2021.
Even if the first set lasted more than an hour, and ended only in the tie-break, Zverev dominated the debates at the start of the match. More enterprising, he broke away 3-1, gave up his advantage, before getting three set points at 6-5. In vain. He also took a 3-1 lead in the tiebreak. But Medvedev was not giving up. The Russian then saved a fourth set point at 4-6, but Zverev struck the fatal blow on a serve-and-volley sequence. The 6th in the world came out of the court cursing once again against the slowness of the surface. He clearly needed to calm down.
Especially since Zverev did not release his pressure. The German offered himself five break points in the first game of the second set, four in the third and one in the seventh. But, despite a heavy fall to 3-2, 30-40, where he twisted his right ankle, Daniil Medvedev held on. No question of giving up. Less and less bothered by the pain, he rallied a second decisive game, which he pocketed on an unstoppable forehand volley. During this second set, Zverev had not converted any of his ten break points.
The 14th in the world had missed his chance. Less physically bleeding, he offered the break at 1 everywhere on a forehand fault. Impeccable on his commitment, Medvedev did not leave him the slightest opening until 5-4. Where he suddenly stalled, notably redacting a match point on an unwelcome drop shot. But Zverev did not have the strong enough kidneys to hold this end of match. He once again yielded his service by slamming his third double fault (5-6). The Russian completed his success with a white game. It is therefore he who will face in the quarter-finals Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (seeded 23), winner of Cristian Garin in two sets.
15/17
Proof of his confidence at the time, Daniil Medevdev dismissed 15 of the 17 break points that Alexander Zverev got. On the other hand, he converted three of his eight opportunities on the German’s service.
