Australian Open history.
Ruusuvuori is performing well, but it’s clear that he’s not as precise as he was earlier in the match. His shots lack the usual strength and Medvedev is currently dominating. Medvedev quickly takes a 4-0 lead without losing any points, ending the game with impressive forehands.
Ruusuvuori is currently receiving medical attention from a member of his team for his right shoulder and arm.
The third-ranked player in the world’s initial serve, upon returning, results in a double fault. Can we really fault him considering the circumstances? However, he redeems himself with two aces and now holds a 3-0 lead. He clearly has the upper hand at this point.
Medvedev takes a break and now leads 2-0 in the fifth set! Is this the final blow for Ruusuvuori? The Finnish player is not moving quickly enough on the court.
Medvedev wins the initial game in the fifth set as Ruusuvuori misses a simple backhand shot into the net.
Prior to beginning the last set, Medvedev is informed that his shoelaces are too long and he is advised to tuck them in. It is reassuring to see that safety measures are still being followed as we enter the fifth hour of this match.
Medvedev easily wins the tie-break with a score of 7-1! Ruusuvuori is struggling to return these serves and now we are headed to the fifth set.
It is currently 3:12 in the morning in Melbourne.
Medvedev reaches the tie-break with his 18th ace of the game! We are only 20 minutes away from the four-hour milestone. Let’s see how this develops.
Ruusuvuori gains knowledge from his adversary through a remarkable downward shot, bringing the score to 30-15 after a 27-shot exchange. The player from Finland also secures the following point as Medvedev’s hit goes beyond the boundary.
Medvedev displays impressive agility on the court, causing Ruusuvuori to hit a forehand into the net, bringing the score to 40-30. However, Medvedev then hits a long return on a serve, giving Ruusuvuori a score of 6-5. The Russian seems displeased with his coaching team at this point.
Medvedev successfully defends his serve! Ruusuvuori came close to winning, but he struggles to maintain composure. His second serve is subpar and the Russian lets out a sigh of relief.
Wow! In the beginning of this match, Ruusuvuori seemed very at ease, but suddenly, after making some mistakes, we are now at a tie. However, Ruusuvuori impresses with a wonderful shot and takes the lead 5-4. He hits a fantastic slice that barely clears the net to win the game.
Unfortunately, Medvedev expressed his frustration by throwing his racquet like a boomerang. The footage reveals that he also accidentally knocked over two of his water bottles. However, this is not a game of bowling and he will not receive any points for his actions. He only received a warning.
The score is currently tied at 4-4! Medvedev has given up his lead after hitting the final shot into the net. He seemed uncertain during some points, opting not to take the final shot when he had the opportunity to. He is now expressing frustration towards himself and/or his coaching team. The atmosphere is tense.
Medvedev appears incredibly focused at the moment. It’s unclear where this attitude was two hours ago, but let’s not dwell on that. He now leads 4-3 in the set. Once again, his drop shot is proving to be a crucial tactic, along with his powerful serving. He has now served 14 aces, while Ruusuvuori has yet to serve any.
Ruusuvuori remains in the set! Medvedev now leads 3-2, with the Finnish player’s volleys helping him secure that game.
Medvedev’s double fault results in a 15-15 tie! Oops!
After a fortunate moment, we reach a tie at deuce. Despite a poor drop shot from Medvedev, Ruusuvuori manages to return it, but the Russian’s volley secures him the point. However, Ruusuvuori quickly demonstrates that he can also play with a fast volley and gains the upper hand.
The match continues with several exchanges until Medvedev secures the game with powerful serves.
In the third game, a brilliant shot from Medvedev, reminiscent of Nadal, brings us to deuce. Despite Ruusuvuori gaining an advantage, Medvedev pulls off another drop shot and ties the score at deuce once again. Ruusuvuori is struggling to reach the shots as he stays back, but manages to win the game with some strong offensive moves. The score is now 2-1.
Medvedev wins the following game, leading 2-0 in the fourth set. He is relying on the drop shot, possibly because he feels it is his only option against Ruusuvuori. However, the Finnish player appears fatigued and may regret not finishing the match earlier.
Medvedev secures a break as he wins the opening game of the fourth set! Despite Ruusuvuori’s effort, the third-ranked player used some impressive drop shots to keep his opponent on the move. The camera then shows the time, and we have now reached the three-hour mark.
The current time in Melbourne is 2:14am. It will be a lengthy night if Medvedev successfully makes a complete comeback, although it already seems to be a challenging match. If you have any reflections on this game or any other surprising outcomes from today, please feel free to send me an email. Contact information can be found at the beginning of the blog.
Medvedev wins the third set! A great exchange at the end, resulting in Ruusuvuori hitting the net and giving the set to his opponent.
Ruusuvuori secures another victory, bringing the third set score to 5-3! The game was highlighted by a superb forehand. Medvedev nearly cost himself the game with a double fault.
Thank you, Daniel! It appears that Medvedev is struggling as Ruusuvuori easily wins the next game, halting any progress the third-ranked player had. The stakes are high now.
My shift has ended, so Yara El-Shaboury will be joining you to hang out until the end – whenever that may be.
When I mention Medvedev’s superior conditioning, I am not implying that he trains more diligently or anything of that nature. Rather, he is accustomed to competing at a high level in these specific tournaments and for extended periods of time – something that Ruusuvuori is not used to. I wonder if Medvedev may choose to lose the remaining set in order to have more energy for the fourth set. However, as I am typing this, we are currently at deuce and Ruusuvuori impressively forces his opponent to hit another shot. Surprisingly, Medvedev, who was leading 40-15, hits the ball into the net. And yet again, Medvedev makes another mistake and loses one of his two breaks, keeping the match alive. Ruusuvuori maintains the lead of 6-3 7-6 2-4.
Ruusuvuori has experienced a slight decline, failing to make shots that he previously had and putting himself at a 30-40 disadvantage. However, he quickly makes up for it with a powerful forehand and an ace. Unfortunately, he then hits the net, bringing the score back to deuce. On the other hand, Medvedev is excelling at controlling the pace of the game, utilizing a drop shot to force his younger and potentially less fit opponent to rush forward and hit the net. With another netted shot from Ruusuvuori, Medvedev secures a double break and now trails 2-0.
The momentum seemed to shift when Medvedev won four consecutive games in the last set, but ultimately lost. I am hesitant to assume the same will happen now. However, he is currently holding his serves easily and has adopted a more aggressive approach, which is proving to be more effective. The current score is now 3-0 in the third set.
Medvedev’s performance improved as he gained a 0-15 advantage and goaded Ruusuvuori to make a long shot. Despite briefly tying the score at 30-all, a clever lob forced Ruusuvuori to use a backhand overhead shot, which resulted in a point for Medvedev. With a record of 2/9 so far, Medvedev now has a break point and Ruusuvuori’s first double of the match gives him the advantage. It seems that Medvedev, who is currently ranked number three in the world, is getting better.
After leading 30-15, Medvedev serves twice and ends up tied at deuce, being pushed from one side of the court to the other while losing his lead. However, he manages to finish with an ace and a forehand winner, bringing the score to 3-6 (1)6-7 1-1 in favor of Rusuvuori.
Yes, it’s more of the same: Ruusuvuori maintains a 1-0 lead and shows no signs of faltering. Can Medvedev perform well enough to win three consecutive sets? At first glance, it seems unlikely since his opponent appears very composed. However, if the finish line comes into sight, anything could happen.
Respect to Ruusuvuori, who had to hang about doing nothing while Medvedev got treatment, then just carried on doing what he’s been doing: outplaying the third-best player in the world like it’s regular gear.
Ruusuvuori only needs one! He sends a forehand deep, Medvedev nets, and he can’t find an answer to the power-hitting being sent his way off both wings.
Medvedev scores a point, but Ruusuvuori dominates him once more, forcing him to scramble towards the forehand side to hit a powerful backhand winner and gain a 6-1 advantage. He now has five points and is leading 2-0 against the third seeded player.
Wow, Medvedev is really exerting himself! He hits a backhand close to the side, followed by a powerful forehand and skillful volley, bringing the score to 4-0 and gaining a double mini-break. And now it’s a triple mini-break! He’s in the lead 5-0 and Medvedev hasn’t had much of a chance in this tiebreak. It’s not that he’s playing poorly, but his opponent is taking advantage of the moment.
Medvedev has recovered and we are now in the second-set breaker, just seven minutes after reaching a tie at six-all. Who will regain their momentum first? Well, it’s Ruusuvuori! He hits a powerful forehand return followed by a strong forehand and a winning backhand drive. Great play! He takes the mini-break and swiftly secures a 3-0 lead, showing minimal emotion. He is determined to win and believes he deserves it.
She remained composed and attentive, leading her to face Ostapenko in the next round. That should bode well.
Wow, Ruusuvuori made two mistakes which caused a 40-15 lead to turn into a deuce. He will be determined not to lose this set and starts hitting powerful forehands to gain an advantage and ultimately win the set. However, before the tiebreaker can begin, Medvedev calls for the trainer due to a blister on his foot. He explains that he didn’t want to interrupt his opponent’s momentum by calling for the trainer before he served for the set. How considerate of him. While we wait for the trainer, we are informed that the latest finish in Australia was at 4:34am in 2008 when Hewitt defeated Baghdatis in a five-set match.
Medvedev maintains his lead at 6-5. The match’s end time is uncertain. It is currently 1am, and if three more sets each lasting an hour are played, it will be a very late hour. We have already been playing for 108 minutes.
There is currently only one remaining match taking place, and it appears to be reaching its conclusion. Azarenka is leading 4-1 against Tauson in the third set, who just hit a wide forehand and gave up a double break. Unfortunately, it seems like Tauson has lost her confidence.
