‘Not again’ – Medvedev battles back from brink

Daniil Medvedev becomes the first Australian Open player to win a match after two sets.

The Russians’ journey to the 2024 final, which included four sets of matches and a total play time of 24 hours and 17 minutes, the longest ever major on the court during the Open era.

However, Medvedev rallied from set down to win the final set of his dreadful run at the Slams last year.

And Medvedev admitted to having some nerves after defeating Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan 6-7 (5-7), 4-6 7-5, 6-0 6-3 in the fourth round on Friday.

The 11th seed said, “Last year, all my Grand Slam games were when I was 2-0 down, I made it to 2-2 and a break up, and then I lost.”

I broke my back in the fifth and I was like, “Not again,” I told him.

But I kept going, and I’m pleased with that.

After falling to Quentin Halys in four sets in the second round, Medvedev changed his focus to five sets, winning over Marozsan.

He also made a joke about Mats Wilander, a court interviewer, that he said to him at the end of the third set, “Uh, Mats is looking at not my best match.”

You had to be there to interview him because it was getting close to the end, I now understand why you were there.

Medvedev rallied from a set-and-a-breakdown to force a decider in the third set against Marozsan, reeling off eight games consecutively.

Medvedev persevered despite a 4-point deficit to win the match and, in the end, played the game for three hours and 43 minutes to set up a meeting with Learner Tien.