(Montreal) World No.1 Daniil Medvedev was eliminated as soon as he entered the Masters 1000 in Montreal on Wednesday, beaten 6-7 (2/7), 6-4, 6-2 by Nick Kyrgios (37e), euphoric in the wake of his victory at the Washington tournament.
Posted at 4:59 p.m.
Updated at 5:30 p.m.
The Russian, who also won last week in Los Cabos, Mexico, and who will be defending his title at the United States Open in more than two weeks, was overwhelmed by the solidity and power of the Australian.
The latter records his 8e straight win, since losing to Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon final last month. A lifting of the Grand Slam where Medvedev had not been able to defend his chances, the organizers of the London tournament having not authorized players from his country and those from Belarus to participate, in response to the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian army.
So, after having made a successful comeback in Mexico where he offered himself, without incident and beating modest opponents, the first title of his season, the Russian knew that this confrontation on Quebec soil, against the man in form of the summer which has just put an end to a drought of three years without a title, had test value.
And he was served, because Kyrgios managed to reverse a rather bad situation, with the loss of the first set in the tiebreaker, during which he showed his worst face, that of a player who cracks when it is. count by balancing the dots.
Renaissance
But the Australian underwent a spectacular transformation in 2022, a real rebirth after two dark years punctuated by depression and suicidal thoughts, and he found the resources to revive himself in this part, quickly evacuating the frustration born of this decisive game. .
He broke Medvedev early in the second set, an advantage he held thanks to his efficient service (12 aces, 82% of the points won on his first serve) and good volleys, to avoid being trapped in long exchanges.
In the third set, the turning point came when Medvedev missed two balls to lead 3-2, Kyrgios coming level with a superb return winner and taking his serve thanks to a pass in the feet returned to the net by his rival.
The Russian then offered no resistance, losing in two hours, for the third time in four oppositions. He still has the Masters 1000 in Cincinatti next week to best prepare for the defense of his title at the United States Open at the end of the month.
For Kyrgios, the Montreal adventure continues: he will face Alex De Minaur (21e) in the next turn.