(Miami) Daniil Medvedev will wait to win a first title this season and will wait before becoming world No.1 again: physically weakened, he could not avoid Thursday’s defeat in the quarter-finals in Miami, against Hubert Hurkacz, tough holder of the title.
Updated yesterday at 11:14 p.m.
The 2and world, finalist of the last Australian Open, lost 7-6 (9/7), 6-3 against the Pole (10and world), who will face the Spanish phenomenon Carlos Alcaraz (16and) Friday.
As a direct consequence, the Russian will not return to the throne of the ATP circuit on Monday. Only an accession in the last four would have allowed him to dislodge Novak Djokovic again.
After a lost semi-final in Acapulco, against Rafael Nadal, already his executioner in Melbourne, and a surprise elimination in 3and turn of Indian Wells against Gaël Monfils, this setback signals the end of an unsatisfactory first quarter for Medvedev, yet never as comfortable as on hard surface.
He has not regained his stratospheric level of the US Open, six months ago, when, relentless in the final, he shattered Djokovic’s one-season Grand Slam dream, preventing him from breaking the record. the number of Majors won.
And he fell on the master of the place, determined to keep his title won last year against the Italian Jannik Sinner.
Changing room and physio
“He’s an extraordinary player, but I was coming back well and putting pressure on his serve,” commented the winner.
Hurkacz, who equalized with two victories everywhere in their confrontations, was indeed the most aggressive, releasing devastating forehands and not hesitating to go up to the net to corner his opponent.
Relying on an excellent first ball (76%), the Pole knew not to be disunited when Medvedev, after saving two first set balls at 5-2, canceled the break to push him to the decisive game. The tiebreaker ended up smiling on Hurkacz who needed three more chances.
The Russian then went to the locker room and the wait lasted eight minutes. Harbinger of a weakening appeared more and more obvious in the second set.
“Throughout the match, I was not at my best,” he confirmed at a press conference. “After the difficult points, I had trouble catching my breath. I wasn’t recovering fast enough. Maybe it was the heat, but I was dizzy and there was a game where I couldn’t serve. »
Medvedev thus had to fight nine minutes to keep his first game of service, before giving up his commitment on the third, which lasted ten more, Hurkacz managing to bend him on his 6and break point.
” Dizziness ”
Several times forced to lean on his racket, back bent, to recover after the exchanges, Medvedev called the physiotherapist, complaining of dizziness. It was enough for Hurkacz to shorten his ordeal after 2 h 03 min.
“I spent a lot of time in Florida, so I’m used to the humidity. I think the conditions were in my favor today, ”said the Pole, in the race for a double never before achieved in Miami for men.
His next opponent will be Carlos Alcaraz, who at 18 has become the third youngest player in history, after Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime (2019) and his compatriot Rafael Nadal (2005) to reach the last four of the tournament, emerging victorious. a big showdown 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 7-6 (7/5), at the expense of the 22-year-old Serb, Miomir Kecmanovic (48and).
These two of the most brilliant representatives of the new generation of world tennis, offered flamboyant and spectacular tennis for 2 hours and 26 minutes, giving everything they had in their stomachs for victory.
She returned to Alcaraz, who was the most enterprising in the game, like her on-the-fly climbs (29 points scored out of 34 attempts). And mentally, he was very solid: led 5-3 in the decisive game of 3and set, he again raised his level of play, to win the next four points.
The Spaniard, winner of the first tournament of his career in February in Rio de Janeiro, will try Friday to reach his first final of a tournament of this magnitude.