Stefanos Tsitsipas beats Daniil Medvedev in epic to keep ATP Finals semi-final hopes alive
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Updated 17/11/2022 at 07:30 GMT
Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas treated the Turin crowd to a brilliant match at the Nitto ATP Finals as they battled it out for two hours and 21 minutes. Medvedev saved three match points, including one with a baseline smash, but Tsitsipas rallied in the third set to get his first win of the tournament. He will now face Andrey Rublev for a place in the semis while Medvedev is out.
Highlights: Tsitsipas edges out Medvedev in three-set epic to keep ATP Finals hopes alive
Stefanos Tsitsipas kept his Nitto ATP Finals hopes alive with a thrilling victory over Daniil Medvedev, who saved three match points in an incredible second-set tie-breaker but is now eliminated from the tournament.
In a battle of two former ATP Finals champions, Tsitsipas broke as Medvedev tried to serve out the match and then swept through the tie-breaker to win 6-3 6-7(11) 7-6(1).
Tsitsipas will now face Andrey Rublev on Friday to decide who qualifies for the semi-finals along with Novak Djokovic from the Red Group.
Former world No. 1 Medvedev has lost both of his matches at the tournament.
Tsitsipas has now beaten Medvedev the last two times they have met, and this was arguably the best contest of their occasionally heated rivalry.
Tsitsipas looked more potent in the early stages and quickly broke to move 2-0 ahead.
That would prove crucial as Medvedev couldn’t create a break point and Tsitsipas served out the set with a love hold.
Medvedev played with more intent at the start of the second set, winning a brilliant 20-shot rally as he held for 2-1.
Tsitsipas found the corner with a blistering forehand in response, but neither player could create an opening against the serve.
The tie-break was a thriller, one of the best of the season.
Medvedev took control early to lead 4-1 but Tsitsipas hit back to level and then serve-volleyed expertly to bring up match point.
Tsitsipas couldn’t convert as he went long and then missed another chance after Medvedev had netted on set point.
Medvedev saved a third match point after finishing off an incredible point with a smash from the baseline, and then won a 27-shot rally and managed to convert his fourth set point to force a decider.
After the drama of the tie-break, the third set went along more serenely on serve until Tsitsipas’ level dropped in the seventh game and Medvedev broke for a 4-3 lead.
Medvedev saved a break point in his next service game, but then produced a below-par game when he tried to serve out the match and was broken.
The tie-break was surprisingly one sided as Tsitsipas seized control by winning the first six points in a row. He raised his arms in the air after sealing victory.
Kyrgios, Kokkinakis get first win in doubles
In the doubles, Thanasi Kokkinakis and Nick Kyrgios roared back from 5-1 down in the match tie-break to beat Ivan Dodig and Austin Krajicek and keep their semi-final hopes alive.
The eighth seeds won 3-6 6-3 10-6 to secure their first win at the tournament.
"I was thinking to myself, 'If we lose today, we [would be] out of the whole event, so I am going to go out and there and do what I can do',” Kyrgios said.
"We are the pair that is able to do that pretty much every time we play, so why don’t we use that to our advantage. The crowd was amazing and they got us over the line.”
Kyrgios and Kokkinakis will most likely have to beat group leaders Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic in their final match on Friday to advance.
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