Daniil Medvedev (RUS) hits a shot in his semifinal match defeating Carlos Alcaraz (ESP) in the BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images via Reuters

Russia’s Daniil Medvedev. File
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Hamad Medjedovic in action.© AFP

Teenage qualifier Learner Tien stunned last year’s Australian Open runner-up Daniil Medvedev in an epic match ending at nearly 3:00 am Friday after defending champion Jannik Sinner roared back to take his place in the third round. Taylor Fritz was an emphatic winner in his pursuit of a maiden major title but exciting 18-year-old Joao Fonseca was edged out in a five-set thriller. The 19-year-old American Tien emerged over a gruelling four hours and 48 minutes of nailbiting action to defeat Russia’s Medvedev 6-3, 7-6 (7/4), 6-7 (8/10), 1-6, 7-6 (10/7).

The 121st-ranked Tien next faces France’s 69th-ranked Corentin Moutet after the biggest win in his young career.

Tien had defeated Argentina’s Camilo Ugo Carabelli in five sets in the first round for his maiden victory at a Grand Slam at the fourth attempt.

“I was definitely hoping it was not going to go to a fifth-set tie breaker,” said Tien.

“But just really happy to get a win. I know I made it a lot harder than it could have been, but whatever.”

It was a painful exit for former world number one Medvedev, who has lost three of the last four finals at Melbourne Park including to Sinner in 2024.

Before the late-night drama, top-ranked Sinner dropped a set for the first time in 14 matches when he lost the opener to Australian wildcard Tristan Schoolkate.

But he wrested back control after a slow start to go through 4-6, 6-4, 6-1, 6-3 against the world number 173 at a cool and breezy Rod Laver Arena.

It was Sinner’s 16th consecutive victory in an ominous sign for next opponent Marcos Giron.

“It’s always tough to play against someone I don’t know very well. He was playing much better than I was at the beginning,” said the Italian, 23, who also won the US Open last year.

“I have to be very happy with my performance and never take things for granted. Very glad to be in the next round.

“I can improve, yes, but I’ll take it.”

Fritz swept through to a third-round clash against Gael Monfils with a brutal display of power hitting and has dropped just eight games in the tournament so far.

The American fourth seed was untouchable on Margaret Court Arena, swatting aside Chilean qualifier Cristian Garin 6-2, 6-1, 6-0 in 82 minutes.

Fritz only gave up five games to blitz past Jenson Brooksby in the first round and has spent barely three hours on court.

“Always feels great to come out and play a match like that,” said Fritz, last year’s US Open finalist.

The supremely talented Fonseca has been tipped for the top by Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic, who has said he sees shades of himself in the Brazilian.

But having stunned ninth seed Andrey Rublev in straight sets in the first round, the teenager went down to Lorenzo Sonego, the Italian pulling through 6-7 (6/8), 6-3, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 to disappoint the vocal Brazilian fans.

Sonego’s reward is a clash against Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan, who took down 17th seed Frances Tiafoe, also in five sets.

Ruthless Swiatek

In the women’s draw, Iga Swiatek set up a showdown with Emma Raducanu in the next round.

Swiatek raced past world number 49 Rebecca Sramkova 6-0, 6-2 while Britain’s Raducanu reached the third round for the first time at Melbourne Park by beating Amanda Anisimova 6-3, 7-5.

“Well for sure it’s going to be a tough one,” world number two Swiatek, a five-time Grand Slam winner but never a Melbourne champion, said as she sized up Raducanu.

“Emma can play great tennis. We all know that.”

Raducanu is seeking to claw up the rankings after an injury-hit 2024 and return to the form that brought her a shock US Open crown in 2021 as a qualifier.

“It will be a very good match for me,” said the 22-year-old.

Elena Rybakina, the sixth seed and former Wimbledon champion, raced past American wildcard Iva Jovic in straight sets.

Emma Navarro, the eighth seed from the United States, will face Ons Jabeur next after battling through three sets to beat China’s 108th-ranked Wang Xiyu.

The Tunisian three-time Grand Slam finalist Jabeur suffered an asthma attack in a 7-5, 6-3 victory over Colombia’s Camila Osorio.

“Very, very tough to breathe,” she said, adding that she may not have continued if she had lost the first set.

Fourth seed Jasmine Paolini made light work of Renata Zarazua of Mexico, winning 6-2, 6-3 despite some early nerves.

Djokovic, Alcaraz and women’s number one and defending champion Aryna Sabalenka all play on a blockbuster Friday.

So do Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka, who are on a collision course to meet in the next round should they both win.

Last year’s runner-up Daniil Medvedev was dumped out in the Australian Open second round early Friday morning by 19-year-old qualifier Learner Tien in a massive Melbourne shock. In his debut Australian Open, the American ranked 121 stunned the world number five 6-3, 7-6 (7/4), 6-7 (8/10), 1-6, 7-6 (10/7) in a nailbiter and faces France’s Corentin Moutet in the next round. With the time ticking towards 3:00 am, the left-handed Californian Tien soaked up the applause at Margaret Court Arena after the biggest win of his young career.

The pair did battle over a gruelling four hours and 48 minutes of seesawing action that was punctuated near its denouement by a short rain break.

Tien had defeated Argentina’s Camilo Ugo Carabelli in five sets in the first round for his maiden victory at a Grand Slam at the fourth attempt.

It was a meek exit for Russia’s former world number one Medvedev, who has lost three of the last four finals at Melbourne Park including to Jannik Sinner in 2024.

The 28-year-old Medvedev needed five sets to beat the 418th-ranked Kasidit Samrej on Tuesday in his first match of the season, smashing his racquet and a net camera in a rage at one point.

He started more serenely against Tien but errors crept into his play and Tien shook off any early nerves by clinching the first set in 47 minutes.

Tien showed his mettle and his pedigree in the eighth game by prevailing in one gruelling 32-shot rally.

The 2021 US Open champion Medvedev and Tien went to a second-set tie break, where the Russian was left exasperated by a double foot fault on his way to losing the set.

The third set again went to a tie break, where Medvedev pulled out an ace under excruciating pressure to save match point and then clinched the set at the third time of asking to come back from the brink.

Suddenly it was all Medvedev and he raced through the fourth set to tee up a decider.

Tien appeared to have run out of steam.

But from somewhere he located some extra reserves of energy and the duo exchanged breaks early in the fifth set. 

There was still time for another twist at 5-5 and 15-all on Tien’s serve when a shower came, briefly holding up proceedings.

They exchanged breaks of serve to go into a 10-point tie break, where there was again nothing between them until Tien finally sealed the deal. 

Tien is a known talent in tennis circles.

He was defeated by fellow teenage prospect Joao Fonseca — who stunned ninth seed Andrey Rublev in round one in Melbourne — in last month’s NextGen final for up-and-coming players.

Iga Swiatek romped into a showdown with Emma Raducanu in early Australian Open second-round action Thursday ahead of Jannik Sinner stepping up the defence of his Melbourne Park title. Rising star Joao Fonseca will be on court again while Daniil Medvedev is looking to avoid becoming another top-10 player to be knocked out by a teenager when he faces Learner Tien. Second seed Swiatek raced past world number 49 Rebecca Sramkova 6-0, 6-2 while Britain’s Raducanu reached the Melbourne third round for the first time by beating Amanda Anisimova 6-3, 7-5.

“I felt really solid today and it was a really efficient game,” said Swiatek. Her victory sets up a high-profile clash against the 2021 US Open winner for a place in the last 16.

Raducanu, seeking to climb up the rankings after an injury-wracked 2024, said she was looking forward to the challenge of playing against the five-time Grand Slam champion.

“It will be a very good match for me. It’s an opportunity to test my game, see where I’m at,” she said.

Italian world number one Sinner won his first-round clash in straight sets and will hope for another quick victory when he takes on Australian wildcard Tristan Schoolkate in the night session on Rod Laver Arena.

By contrast, Russian firebrand Medvedev seems to like winning the hard way.

Four of his seven matches in Melbourne went the full distance a year ago, including his defeat in the final to Sinner.

And he needed another marathon to beat the 418th-ranked Kasidit Samrej on Tuesday in the first Grand Slam of the year.

Fifth seed Medvedev was 3-5 behind and on the brink of going two sets to one down against the Thai player when he saw red, slamming his racquet into the net camera repeatedly until they were both in bits.

Medvedev, who has lost three of the last four Australian Open finals, faces the up-and-coming American Tien, 19, who lost in the NextGen final to Fonseca.

The Brazilian sensation Fonseca has been tipped for the top after stunning ninth seed Andrey Rublev in straight sets in the first round.

“What can I say about it? Just incredible,” four-time Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz said of Fonseca.

The 18-year-old Fonseca faces unseeded Italian Lorenzo Sonego for a place in the third round.

Australia’s main hope Alex de Minaur takes on American Tristan Boyer on Rod Laver.

In the women’s draw, eighth seed Emma Navarro had to dig deep to get past China’s Wang Xiyu 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 and will face former world number two Ons Jabeur from Tunisia in the third round.

Jabeur enjoyed a straight-sets win over Colombian Camila Osorio.

Jasmine Paolini and Elena Rybakina are also in second-round action.

Fourth seed Paolini faces Renata Zarazua of Mexico to round off the night on centre court.

Sixth seed Rybakina blew away 16-year-old Australian Emerson Jones 6-1, 6-1 in her opening match and faces American wildcard Iva Jovic.

Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca stunned ninth seed Andrey Rublev in a major Australian Open shock on Tuesday as racquet-smashing 2024 finalist Daniil Medvedev narrowly avoided the same fate. A rampant Taylor Fritz, veteran Gael Monfils and home hope Alex de Minaur also all progressed into round two at Melbourne Park. In the women’s draw, Jasmine Paolini and Elena Rybakina were both emphatic winners on day three, with Emma Navarro and Emma Raducanu also victorious. But the day belonged to the 18-year-old Fonseca, who defeated Russia’s Rublev 7-6 (7/1), 6-3, 7-6 (7/5) on his Grand Slam debut.

Roared on by Brazilian fans decked out in yellow, Fonseca appeared totally unfazed as he set up a second-round meeting with Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego.

“It’s the first time playing in a huge stadium,” he told an energised Margaret Court Arena.

“There are a lot of Brazilians here cheering for me and I enjoyed every moment, thanks a lot.”

Rublev’s fellow Russian Medvedev, a three-time losing finalist in Melbourne including a year ago to Jannik Sinner, was heavy favourite against Thailand’s 418th-ranked Kasidit Samrej.

But in his first match of the season, the fifth seed nearly imploded in a fit of anger before finding some measure of calm.

“Second and third set I couldn’t touch the ball. I didn’t know what to do,” Medvedev said after finally winning 6-2, 4-6, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 on Rod Laver Arena.

The 28-year-old mangled his racquet as he spectacularly lost his rag in the third set, slamming it into the net camera repeatedly until they both became a broken mess.

There was no such trouble for fourth seed Fritz as he blitzed fellow American Jenson Brooksby 6-2, 6-0, 6-3 to launch his bid for a maiden Grand Slam crown.

“It’s never easy playing that first match in a Slam, there are some nerves, so I did a really good job shaking them off early and playing really solid,” said Fritz, who took just one hour and 46 minutes to dismantle his compatriot.

France’s Monfils battled through a five-set thriller to topple young countryman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard and continue the 38-year-old’s late-career resurgence.

Crowd-pleaser Monfils became the oldest singles champion in ATP Tour history when he swept to victory at the Auckland Classic on Saturday.

He kept the momentum going against lethal-serving Mpetshi Perricard, 21, over a gruelling three hours and 46 minutes.

“I’m crazy happy,” said the popular Monfils.

“Everything is a win now, so, you know, no pressure on me.”

De Minaur, nicknamed “The Demon” by Australian fans and media, eased past Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp, 6-1, 7-5, 6-4.

‘Mind of its own’

Italy’s Paolini breezed past Wei Sijia 6-0, 6-4 in just 73 minutes to underline her title credentials.

The 29-year-old has said she got a taste for playing on the biggest stage after rocketing to world number four last year on the back of finishing runner-up at both Roland Garros and Wimbledon.

“Maybe everything began from here last year,” Paolini, who reached the fourth round 12 months ago, said after hammering the world number 117 from China.

Former Wimbledon champion Rybakina dished out a harsh lesson of her own to 16-year-old Emerson Jones, winning 6-1, 6-1 in a ruthless statement of intent. 

The sixth seed from Kazakhstan demonstrated her pedigree as she manoeuvred the world junior number one from Australia to all parts of Margaret Court Arena.

The 2021 US Open champion Raducanu blew hot and cold in beating 26th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova from Russia, 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/2).

The 22-year-old Briton, who next faces American Amanda Anisimova, clocked up 15 double faults and said that her serve had “a mind of its own”.

Navarro, the eighth seed, beat fellow American Peyton Stearns in three sets.

The 13th seeding proved unlucky for Anna Kalinskaya, a quarter-finalist last year, who withdrew moments before her match against Australia’s Kimberly Birrell.

Kalinskaya was replaced by lucky loser Eva Lys of Germany, who took full advantage of her last-minute call-up by winning 6-2, 6-2.

Many of the top names including Novak Djokovic, Aryna Sabalenka, Carlos Alcaraz, Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka will be back in action on Wednesday when the second round begins.

Daniil Medvedev faces a hefty fine after mangling his racquet and a net camera in an epic temper tantrum before battling through a five-set roller coaster to start his Australian Open on Tuesday. The feisty Russian, a three-time finalist in Melbourne, lost his cool in the third set before rallying to beat 418th-ranked Kasidit Samrej 6-2, 4-6, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 on Rod Laver Arena. Fifth seed Medvedev was 3-5 behind and on the brink of going two sets to one down against the Thai player when he exploded, slamming his racquet into the net camera repeatedly until they both became a broken mess.

UPSET ALERT: Daniil Medvedev goes down 2 sets to 1 to the 418th ranked WC Kasidit Samrej and takes out the net camera in the process. pic.twitter.com/RwvA9yYQp0

— asud (@asud683385) January 14, 2025

Ball kids had to sweep up the debris when he lost the game and set, while the match was postponed briefly as officials ran repairs on the net.

Medvedev is facing a big penalty.

“Honestly, I hope not too big. The fine is usually for breaking the racquet, and the camera is going to cost some, but I don’t think GoPro is that expensive,” he said. 

“When I did it, I didn’t want to smash the racquet in pieces. When I saw the racquet, I was, like, okay, time to take a new one I guess.”

Medvedev was playing his first match since the ATP Finals in November after arriving in Australia late to be at home for the birth of his second child.

He pledged before the tournament to be a “disruptor” against the big names this season, but his stuttering start against a player with no pedigree showed he has his work cut out.

“In general it was kind of a top level from him, serving good, one break each set, just what you need to do to win matches,” Medvedev, who lost last year’s final to Jannik Sinner, said.

“Two sets to one down is not an easy feeling. I was, like: I don’t want to be on the flight tomorrow.

“I’m happy that I managed to stay tough. I think, in my opinion, I didn’t play a bad level, I played quite well and will for sure try to play better throughout the tournament.”

The former world number one broke his opponent’s opening service game and was never troubled in the first set, racing through it in 30 minutes.

But the Thai player, who qualified for his Grand Slam debut by winning the Asia-Pacific wildcard playoff event, refused to go away.

He stunned the Russian by breaking him at 5-4 to take the second and was well on top in the third before the Medvedev meltdown.

But the 28-year-old is a veteran of five-setters in Melbourne, contesting four and winning three last year, and he regrouped, using his experience to reassert control as Samrej began flagging.

Three-time losing finalist Daniil Medvedev and home favourite Alex de Minaur set out on the road to Australian Open glory Tuesday while Jasmine Paolini headlines the women’s action. Fifth seed Medvedev begins his 2025 campaign against Thailand’s Kasidit Samrej on Rod Laver Arena and has pledged to be a “disruptor” against last year’s Grand Slam kings Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. The feisty Russian has reached three of the last four finals at Melbourne Park. He was outplayed by Novak Djokovic in 2021 before a heart-wrenching five-set defeat to Rafael Nadal a year later.

The 28-year-old again crashed in five sets after being two up against Sinner 12 months ago.

Medvedev has not played since the ATP Finals in November but said it had only given him more time to prepare.

“I felt like it was one of the best pre-seasons,” he said. 

“Last year Carlos and Jannik were beating me a lot of times in later stages of tournaments. 

“I would like to become again.. let’s say a disruptor, because it means that I will be able to get to these later stages and win them.”

De Minaur, nicknamed “The Demon” by the Australian fans and media, is the big hope for a first home men’s singles winner since Mark Edmondson in 1976. 

‘It means the world’

The eighth seed begins in the prime-time evening slot on Rod Laver Arena against Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp.

“I’m going to do my best to hopefully play a lot of matches here, win a lot of matches, do Australia proud,” said De Minaur, who recently got engaged to British number one Katie Boulter.

“As Australian tennis players we spend the majority of the year overseas.

“To get the chance and opportunity to start the year here at home, it just means the world.”

Paolini said she got a taste for playing on the biggest stage after rocketing to world number four last year on the back of finishing runner-up at both Roland Garros and Wimbledon.

The 29-year-old Italian faces China’s Wei Sijia on Margaret Court Arena.

“One of my main focus, it’s always to enjoy being on court, enjoy playing matches,” she said. 

“I think I grew up as a player last year, but also as a person I’m more mature. I believe more in myself than three or four years ago.”

Sixth seed Elena Rybakina, a losing finalist in Melbourne two years ago, starts against Australian junior world number one Emerson Jones, 16, who is tipped to follow in the footsteps of former Melbourne Park champion Ash Barty.

“I think she’s definitely a good player,” said Rybakina of the youngster, who will be making her Grand Slam main draw debut after being awarded a wild card.

“She’s a good player, a dangerous player. Especially when you’re young, you have nothing to lose. And she’s at home.”

Former US Open champion Emma Raducanu from Britain starts out in the first match on court three against 26th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova from Russia.

Gael Monfils, 38, who on Saturday became the oldest singles champion in ATP Tour history at the Auckland Classic, will follow on the same court against big-serving fellow Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard.

There is an all-American encounter as Taylor Fritz, the fourth seed, plays Jenson Brooksby.

Daniil Medvedev is still searching for his first ATP tournament victory this year after the world number five lost to Australia’s Alexei Popyrin for the first time in his career at the Paris Masters on Wednesday. Medvedev won the Paris title in 2020 but has not found the indoor tournament to his liking in recent years — the defeat to Popyrin is the third successive time he has gone out in his opening round. Popyrin, who has been on a rich vein of form this year winning his first Masters tournament in Montreal in August and beating Novak Djokovic in the US Open, edged Medvedev 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (7/4) in a gripping second round match.

For Popyrin, ranked 24 in the world, it was only his third win over a player in the top five.

“It is the first time I have beaten him (in four meetings),” said Popyrin.

“We have had some right old battles in the past and it is a real pleasure to have performed like this this time round.”

Popyrin will next play Karen Khachanov after the Russian downed France’s Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard 6-7 (12/14), 6-1, 6-4.

Medvedev, who has already qualified for the season-ending ATP Tour Finals next month, fought back twice in the deciding set.

He came back from 4-1 down to force a tie-break and then trailing 4-1 in that he levelled at 4-4.

However, with Popyrin leading 5-4, Medvedev double-faulted giving the 25-year-old Australian two match points and he wasted no time in sealing the victory on the first one.

‘Still a contender’

Medvedev is not the first high profile seed to fall at the first hurdle as his compatriot Andrey Rublev and Norway’s Casper Ruud have already lost.

“It was a tough match,” said Medvedev.

“I should have played better but at the same time, I had my opportunities, and I did not take them.

“It was a very tight match.”

Carlos Alcaraz remains in the mix having won his first match on Tuesday and is favoured to take the title after Italian world number one Jannik Sinner withdrew from the tournament due to an intestinal virus.

Alcaraz will play France’s Ugo Humbert in the third round, the French number one breezed past America’s Marcos Giron 6-3, 6-2 on Wednesday.

A potential dark horse for the title is Bulgarian eighth seed Grigor Dimitrov who beat Tomas Martin Etcheverry 6-7 (9/11), 6-3, 7-5.

Dimitrov still has a chance of qualifying for the ATP Finals, if he won the Paris title he would move past Djokovic (sixth), Ruud (seventh) and Rublev (eighth).

Just the top eight qualify for the climax to the ATP season in Turin.

“I would give a lot to be in (Turin),” said Dimitrov, who reached the Paris final last year.

“I’m in a place where I am still a contender, I’m still fighting against the best players in the world, and still beating the younger guys.

“This gives me confidence and makes me happy.”

Dimitrov faces Arthur Rinderknech in the next round after the French wild squeezed past American Alex Michelsen 7-6 (8/6), 7-6 (9/7).

Germany’s world number three Alexander Zverev is already booked into Turin and began his Paris campaign with a 7-6 (7/2), 6-3 defeat of the Netherlands’ Tallon Griekspoor.

Waiting for him in the last 16 is another home hope, Arthur Fils, the 20-year-old a 6-3, 6-4 winner over Jan-Lennard Struff.

Britain’s Jack Draper lived to fight another day after a gripping 7-6 (8/6), 4-6, 6-4 win over American sixth seed Taylor Fritz.

The winner of last weekend’s ATP 500 title in Vienna earned a date with Australian ninth seed Alex de Minaur.

It was a memorable day for the French, with a record-equalling five going through to the last 16 after Arthur Cazaux, the world number 85, upset American 19th seed Ben Shelton 6-3, 7-6 (7/4) to progress with his fellow countrymen Humbert, Fils, Rinderknech and Adrian Mannarino.