Daniil Medvedev shook off a second-set slump on Tuesday to beat Alexander Zverev 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (7/5), 7-5, a “crazy” victory that took him into the Indian Wells quarters Pushed – Finals for the first time.
Medvedev registered 17th consecutive win in ATP. But for a while it looked like the red-hot form in which she won trophies in Rotterdam, Doha and Dubai would not be enough for a joint WTA and ATP Masters 1000 event in the California desert.
The world number six, frustrated by the ever-slow courts at Indian Wells, twisted his right ankle in the sixth game of the second set, weeping and lying on the court for several minutes before limping to his chair.
Zverev, who suffered three torn ankle ligaments at last year’s French Open, looked worried but after the injury was checked and taped by medical staff, Medvedev continued and turned the match around.
Medvedev said, “It was the first time in my life the physio taped my ankle, so I decided to try it.” The surprising thing was that running was easier than walking. So when I was walking I was limping and then I was walking fine.”
Medvedev saved all 10 break points he faced in the second set – before falling eight alone.
He raced to a 4-1 lead in the tiebreaker, thrilling the crowd with a defensive overhead smash and finally finishing it off with a crisply angled forehand winner.
He went to an early break in the third and was not troubled on his serve until he lost a match point as he was broken in the 10th game.
Zverev couldn’t build on that, though, holding his head in disbelief as he double-faulted on break point in the next game.
Medvedev seized the opening, holding off Love to win after three hours and 17 minutes.
Medvedev said, “When the adrenaline wears off, it will be quite painful, so I’m probably going to have scans to see what it is and whether I can continue playing.”
– Norrie in the quarterfinals –
He will face 28th-ranked Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, who beat qualifier Cristian Garin of Chile 6-3, 6-4.
Garin had defeated world number four Casper Ruud in the third round.
Stadium court drama kicked off a packed day featuring all the men’s and women’s round of 16 matches.
Men’s top seed Carlos Alcaraz, the US Open champion who is chasing a third Masters 1000 title which would see him return to world number one, took on 21-year-old Briton Jack Draper – coming off a third-round exit Is. Win over childhood hero Andy Murray.
Defending champion Taylor Fritz defeated Marton Fuksovics of Hungary.
Women’s world number one Iga Swiatek, seeking to become the second woman to win back-to-back Indian Wells titles after Martina Navratilova in 1990-91, faces 2021 US Open winner Emma Radukanu.
In the opening matches, 2021 champion Cameron Norrie of Britain defeated seventh-ranked Russian Andrey Rublev 6-2, 6-4.
Sixth-seeded American Coco Gauff beat Swedish qualifier Rebecca Peterson 6-3, 1-6, 6-4, and seventh-seeded Maria Sakkari – last year’s runner-up to Swiatek – beat Karolina Pliskova 6-4, 5-7. Defeated, 6–3.
BB/RCW
