De Minaur crushed after Medvedev’s act of ‘gamesmanship’

Alex de Minaur has been bashed out of the US Open after an act of “gamesmanship” turned his battle with Daniil Medvedev on its head.

Tyson Otto

@tottodtsport

6 min read

September 5, 2023 - 3:50PM

De Minaur dominance continues at US Open

Alex de Minaur has been brutally blitzed out of the US Open after an act of “gamesmanship” turned his battle with Daniil Medvedev on its head.

Medvedev flicked a switch late in the second set, winning 14 of the final 17 service games, coming back from the brink of a boilover defeat to win 2-6 6-4 6-1 6-2.

The fourth round win means Medvedev is through to the quarter-finals where he will play fellow-Russian Andrey Rublev.

De Minaur took centre stage on Tuesday morning and shocked the New York crowd, racing through the first set in just 32 minutes.

However, everything changed when Medvedev then went off the court for an extended break in a move that Aussie tennis great Todd Woodbridge described as “gamesmanship”.

The rollercoaster match came after a wild day of action in New York.

3.45pm - Zverev survives epic comeback

Alexander Zverev has defeated Jannik Sinner 6-4 6-3 2-6 4-6 6-3 in a five set epic to book a quartfinal clash with Carlos Alcaraz.

Zverev won the first two sets as Sinner struggled badly with cramping, before the Italian somehow came to life and found his rhythm to level the match and force a fifth set.

But it was a bridge too far for Sinner as Zverev closed out the match in the early hours in New York.

Zverev said: “I guess I can say I’m back right?”

Very tough for Sinner, who loses another high profile 5th setter.

Wimbledon 2022 vs. Djokovic (was two sets up)
US Open 2022 vs. Alcaraz (had MP)
Australia 2023 vs. Tsitsipas
Roland Garros 2023 vs. Altmaier (had MPs)
US Open 2023 vs. Zverev

But what a player this guy is. pic.twitter.com/rT5A8K85G2
— JosÃ© Morgado (@josemorgado) September 5, 2023

11.30 - Medvedev says match was “brutal”

Daniil Medvedev says he briefly thought he would have to retire from the match while struggling with the hot conditions in New York.

The Russian fought his way back into the contest, but admitted he was struggling physically when de Minaur snatched the early scoreboard advantage.

Daniil Medvedev was too big for Alex de Minaur. Photo by Sarah Stier / GETTY IMAGES.

He said the conditions were among the “most brutal” he’s faced.

However, the 2021 US Open champion found a way back into the match and proved to be a class above de Minaur when he stormed through the final two sets.

Told his post match press conference de Minaur said he “lost his legs” in the match, Medvedev cheekily replied: “That’s great to hear.”

10.45am - De Minaur sucker punched, loses third set

Daniil Medvedev suddenly snatched back to back sets after flicking a switch late in the second set.

The Russian peeled off a run of eight service games won to one, leaving de Minaur on the ropes at 2-6 6-4 6-1.

It had been 4-4 in the second set before the 2021 US Open champion showed his class by suddenly exploding with a flurry of groundstroke winners — just minutes after he looked to have been out on his feet with exhaustion.

9.30am - Medvedev struggling to breathe, accused of gamesmanship

Alex de Minaur rocked Daniil Medvedev to take the first set 6-2 in just 32 minutes.

The Russian needed an extended break at the end of the first set after previously needing tournament medical staff to bring him an inhaler.

He was heard saying that he was struggling to breathe and told the official that he had already taken something earlier to assist with his breathing issue.

Medvedev walked off court and took his bag with him and was not seen for an extended period before eventually returning for the start of the second set.

Alex de Minaur is dialled in. Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images.

Channel 9 commentator Brenton Speed said Medvedev appeared “quite distressed”.

However, Aussie great Todd Woodbridge responded with a searing rant about how Medvedev was using gamesmanship to thwart de Minaur’s momentum.

“This is a strange situation in the match,” Woodbridge said on Nine.

“A 31-minute set, Medvedev leaves the court, took his whole bag... why do you need to leave the court for that long?

“It’s not a toilet break, is he changing his full kit? Shouldn’t that be at a certain time?

“I tell you, I think our sport really has to do something about these change-overs. It’s just such a crutch that everyone seems to go to when they’re down, and it’s just not part of the game.

Medvedev appears to be using an inhaler here.

The air is incredible hot and thick here. Must be really tough.

De Minaur leads 3-2 with a break. pic.twitter.com/ttlvtUoYoi
— The Tennis Podcast (@TennisPodcast) September 4, 2023

“It shouldn’t be there. I implore our rules officials to get in and stop all this stuff going on, because it’s just momentum changes in matches that we shouldn’t have.

“Let’s keep the game moving. It’s not great for us as broadcasters, and I think it’s really gamesmanship and it needs to be taken out.”

He went on to say: “It’s such an annoying part of our game. You’re not supposed to be doing this. And the umpire is letting him get away with it”.

8am - Devastating news with star in tears

Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic was left in tears on Tuesday despite progressing through to the quarter-finals.

Ninth seed Vondrousova booked her place in the last eight with a battling win over unseeded American Peyton Stearns, coming from a set down to win 6-7 (3/7), 6-3, 6-2.

However, she was seen in tears shortly after, having pulled out of the doubles draw with an injury.

Vondrousova was icing her arm while crying and talking to Strycova.

Looks ready to continue in singles, but I would be too risky to keep playing doubles as well. pic.twitter.com/BJhCX6OsIE
— JosÃ© Morgado (@josemorgado) September 4, 2023

Vondrousova made history in July after becoming the first unseeded woman to win Wimbledon, her first Grand Slam title.

The 24-year-old has never been past the fourth round at the US Open, and admitted after her win she had surprised herself by advancing to the last eight.

“She was playing great from the beginning, and I just tried to stay in the game,” Vondrousova said of Stearns.

“I’m very happy. I actually didn’t expect it after Wimby — it was a lot of pressure. We’ll see what happens next.”

She will face Madison Keys in the quarter-finals.

7.15am - Rublev sets up daunting quarter-final

Andrey Rublev reached the US Open quarter-finals for the fourth time after beating Britain’s Jack Draper 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.

Russian eighth seed Rublev goes on to play 2021 champion and compatriot Daniil Medvedev or Australia’s Alex de Minaur, the 13th seed, for a spot in the last four.

The 25-year-old Rublev is through to his third Grand Slam quarter-final of the season. He has made the last eight of a major nine times but never gone beyond that stage.

The injury-plagued Draper, the world number 123, had been attempting to become the first British man to reach the US Open quarters since Andy Murray in 2016.

6am - Alcaraz looks untouchable

Carlos Alcaraz swept into the quarter-finals of the US Open with a straight sets demolition of Italy’s Matteo Arnaldi.

Defending champion Alcaraz, who has only dropped one set on his journey into the last eight, produced a dominant display to overwhelm world No.61 Arnaldi, winning 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 in 1hr 57min.

The 20-year-old Alcaraz is bidding to become the first man since Roger Federer in 2008 to successfully defend the US Open after winning the title for the first time last year.

The identity of the Spaniard’s quarter-final opponent will be confirmed later Tuesday, with Alcaraz due to face either Germany’s Alexander Zverev or Italy’s sixth seed Jannik Sinner in the last eight on Thursday.

A match with Sinner would be a repeat of last year’s quarter-final classic between the two men, which set a record as the latest ever finish for a US Open game after wrapping up at 2.50am.

“I think the intensity from the beginning until the last ball, I played a really solid match, less mistakes,” Alcaraz said after Monday’s brisk victory.

“I’m really happy with the performance in general.” In other men’s matches on Monday, Britain’s Jack Draper takes on eighth-seeded Russian Andrey Rublev while third seed Daniil Medvedev, the 2021 champion, faces Australian 13th seed Alex de Minaur.

5.30am - Another massive upset rocks women’s draw

Jessica Pegula joined world number one Iga Swiatek — who was upset in the fourth round on Monday — in heading for the tournament exit, losing in straight sets to compatriot and close friend Madison Keys.

Pegula had gone into the US Open dreaming of a first ever Grand Slam, buoyed by victory in last month’s WTA 1000 Canadian Open in Montreal.

But the 29-year-old’s campaign came to an abrupt halt in front of a packed Arthur Ashe Stadium as 2017 US Open finalist Keys recorded a dominant 6-1, 6-3 win in just 61 minutes.

Pegula was left with no answer as Keys unleashed a stream of 21 winners to her six.

Keys also punished her friend’s shaky serve, breaking her five times on her way to wrapping up a comfortable victory.

“It’s always tough having to play a friend but we’ve been doing it our whole lives at this point,” Keys, 28, said.

“When we get on the court it’s all business and when we get off the court we go back to being friends.”

US Open results from Day 8

Men fourth round -

Carlos Alcaraz (ESP x1) bt Matteo Arnaldi (ITA) 6-3, 6-3, 6-4

Andrey Rublev (RUS x8) bt Jack Draper (GBR) 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4

Women fourth round -

Marketa Vondrousova (CZE x9) bt Peyton Stearns (USA) 6-7 (3/7),

6-3, 6-2