Daniil Medvedev, Jannik Sinner and Felix Auger-Aliassime are all through to the quarterfinals of the Australian Open 2022.
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It was a relatively easy day for the top-seeded male players in the Australian Open on Monday (January 24). All of Daniil Medvedev, Jannik Sinner and Felix Auger-Aliassime are into the quarterfinals of the tournament.
Medvedev beat Maxime Cressy 6-2, 7-6(4), 6-7(4), 7-5 whereas Sinner beat local hero Alex de Minaur 7-6(3), 6-3, 6-4. Auger-Aliassime beat Marin Cilic 2-6, 7-6(7), 6-2, 7-6(4).
However, it was Medvedev’s match that caught many’s attention – and not necessarily for the right reasons either. The match devolved into a bad-tempered affair, with the Russian having arguments with the umpires.
The reason? He felt his opponent was taking too long in between services and ought to have been given a time violation during the fourth set.
“It was long and it was not easy, the scoreline apart from the first set were all tough sets and if I didn’t win the fourth set I would have been in a tough mental shape,” Medvedev admitted.
Quarterfinals? Meddy is ready ? @DaniilMedwed overcomes an inspired Maxime Cressy to advance 6-2 7-6(4) 6-7(4) 7-5.#AusOpen · #AO2022 pic.twitter.com/dsTIOZzQ9K
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 24, 2022
“I had so many break points in the fourth set, I just wanted to make one. I definitely had some break points where I could have played them a little bit better.
“He still gave me the chance to be in that game, but it was a hell of a match.”
For Sinner, this was yet another case of a straightforward win. Of the three sets he needed to play against De Minaur, only the first one caused him any real problems.
Sinner saved four break points in the first set before winning the tie-break that came due to neither managing a break. After that, the next two sets were about who did better in the crunch moments.
De Minaur did well but Sinner came to the party when it mattered most. As such, he eased through to the final eight.
“I think in the beginning I was just serving well,” said Sinner. “He had more chances than me in the first set, then after I tried to push a little bit more, especially in the tie-break, which maybe made the difference.
“Then I went into my confidence, and I tried to move him a little bit, but it’s very tough playing against Alex, especially here in Australia. He always plays very, very well.”
For Auger-Aliassime, his win was anything but straightforward. Cilic broke him twice en route to taking the first set easily. Yet the Canadian did not face a single break point after that.
He easily won the second set tie-break before powering through the third to take a 2-1 sets lead. However, the fourth also went to a tie-break, meaning the match lasted a little longer than he would have liked.
Nevertheless, he did the deed in the second tie-break too and thus eliminated the powerful Croation from the tournament.
