Daniil Medvedev, the third-ranked player, had a close call at the Australian Open. He managed to overcome a two-set deficit and defeat Emil Ruusuvuori in a match that ended at 3:40am in Melbourne.
Medvedev looked like he might have been in bed much earlier as the unseeded Finnish player took control. But the Russian showed his fighting spirit to ensure that it turned into an early morning as he battled back to win 3-6, 6-7 (1-7), 6-4, 7-6 (7-1), 6-0 with sunrise two hours away.
Having started the match at 11.15pm, the contest lasted for four hours and 23 minutes and finished with a sparse, hardy crowd watching on at Rod Laver Arena. Medvedev walked on to court after Elena Rybakina lost the longest ever tie-breaker in a women’s grand slam event, 22-20 to Anna Blinkova.
The Russian expressed gratitude to the audience for staying until the end, acknowledging that it was a difficult match. They noted that if they were just a spectator, they would have gone home at 1am and watched the rest of the match on TV. The Russian commended the audience for their strength.
The fifth day of the Australian Open concluded on a Friday, despite the tournament starting on Sunday and the first round being spread out over three days. It was the latest end to a day so far this year, but it did not break the tournament record. Last year, Andy Murray defeated Thanasi Kokkinakis in a second-round match that lasted five hours and 45 minutes and ended just after 4am.
Unfortunately, this performance was only sufficient for achieving second place. The most recent match to conclude in grand slam history was won by Lleyton Hewitt against Marcos Baghdatis at 4:34am in 2008.
The delayed beginning could have impacted Medvedev’s lackluster start as he lost his first service game and fell behind 3-0 in a short amount of time. With 16 unforced errors, the former two-time finalist in Melbourne quickly lost the first set.
Medvedev had to receive medical attention for a blister in the second set. Despite demonstrating his determination, he ultimately lost in the tie-break and was at risk of being eliminated early in Melbourne.
Nevertheless, Medvedev was able to make a comeback and win the set with the help of Ruusuvuori’s lackluster service game, highlighted by a double fault on break-point during the third game of the third set.
The 27-year-old player proceeded to break Ruusuvuori’s serve at the beginning of the fourth set. However, he later lost his advantage and was given a code violation for breaking his racket. Medvedev then took control of the tie-break and managed to even the score. As the match continued past 3am, he wore down his opponent and the spectators. He ultimately won with a final set score of 6-0 while Ruusuvuori struggled with shoulder issues.
Medvedev’s next opponent will be Felix Auger-Aliassime, who defeated Hugo Grenier with a score of 6-1, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2.
