Shock defeat for Daniil Medvedev as worrying slump continues
Alex De Minaur caused an upset at the National Bank Open in Toronto after beating world number three Daniil Medvedev in straight sets.
A tough contest saw the Australian emerge victorious after two hours and two minutes with a 7-6 (7) 7-5 win.
De Minaur came back from 2-5 down in the first set to claim the opener in a tie-break and then came from a break down twice in the second to seal the match.
“I had to play some of my best tennis today, it has been a great week for me so far,” De Minaur told the ATP website post-match.
“I played the right way today. I think having played him at the end of last year gave me the confidence that I had a chance. I just had to play the right way and I am extremely proud of the effort and to still be alive.”
The victory ensured De Minaur reached a first-ever Masters 1000 semi-final, where he will now face Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the final four on Saturday.
This was a disappointing defeat for Medvedev, who considers hard courts to be his best surface.
Yet the Russian doesn’t appear to be playing at the levels that took him to glory at the 2021 US Open, with his failure to get over the winning line in recent months a stark contrast to his form in the first half of 2023.
A heavy defeat against Carlos Alcaraz in the Wimbledon semi-finals highlighted the gap that appears to have opened up between Medvedev and the players at the top of the ATP rankings and now the world No 3 needs to prove he can test the best when it matters most at the US Open.
Meanwhile, Davidovich Fokina reached the semi-finals after beating Mackenzie McDonald 6-4 6-2.
“I just want to step on court and play my best and enjoy every moment and every point,” he said post-match.
“He was playing amazing at the beginning and then made a few mistakes and I believed more in myself. It gave me a lot of power.”
This latest win eases Davidovich Fokina up to 23rd into the provisional ATP rankings, which would be a career high if he stays there on Monday.
Victory in his semi-final against De Minaur would see him break into the top 20 for the first time in his career.
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