Australian Open 2024 results: Daniil Medvedev through in Melbourne, Ben Shelton wins
- Published
Daniil Medvedev lost in the Australian Open third round last year
Australian Open 2024 |
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Venue: Melbourne Park Dates: 14-28 January |
Coverage: Commentary every day from 07:00 GMT on Tennis Breakfast on Radio 5 Sports Extra and BBC Sounds, with selected live text commentaries and match reports on the BBC Sport website and app |
Russian third seed Daniil Medvedev survived a scare as he fought back from a set down before his opponent Terence Atmane quit in tears because of cramp in the Australian Open first round.
Qualifier Atmane won the opening set before Medvedev - runner-up in 2021 and 2022 - turned the match around.
Medvedev led 5-7 6-2 6-4 1-0 when the Frenchman was forced to retire.
"I've cramped like that many times. If he plays like this he can do big things," Medvedev, 27, said.
The conditions in Melbourne on the second day's play were hotter than they have been over the past week, with outside temperatures reaching 27C and increasing further in direct sunlight on court.
Atmane appeared to pull up with cramp in the third set and, after initially carrying on, decided he could not continue after being broken early in the fourth.
The 22-year-old looked close to tears when he shook hands with Medvedev at the net and then sobbed as he hid his head underneath his towel.
Clasping his hands together in a prayer sign, he gave a heartfelt thanks to the crowd for their well-wishes as he walked off.
"It was brutal conditions. What's brutal is it hasn't been hot for seven day here and now it is hot," said Medvedev.
"I regained the momentum and when I started feeling tough, he started cramping.
"I get tired physically, but I know the other guy will tire physically too and see if the other can handle it better."
Medvedev has said he is aiming to be more "mature" in his interactions with the crowds this year.
He called the Melbourne Park crowd "disrespectful following his 2022 final loss to Rafael Nadal, adding that "they probably have a low IQ", but last year admitted it was "not smart" to make those comments.
"This year I'm going to try to have a different mentality on all this, like games with the crowd," Medvedev said.
"In the way that on court some things can happen, try to love everyone and hopefully everyone can feel the same.
"Right now [it's] very important to feel good with myself, and like this I can feel good with everybody else.
"That's what I try to do. Let's see if I manage to do it."
Tsitsipas wins after 'astonishing' injury recovery
Greek seventh seed Stefanos Tsitsipas also came from behind to beat Belgian lucky loser Zizou Bergs 5-7 6-1 6-1 6-3.
Beaten by Novak Djokovic in the Melbourne final last year, Tsitsipas had been set to face Matteo Berrettini in the opening round but the Italian withdrew through injury on Sunday.
Tsitsipas, 25, had injury worries of his own after withdrawing from the ATP Finals in November with a back injury but says his recovery has been "quicker than any other player" that has suffered the same issue.
"My recovery has kind of been insane," he said after his win.
"It's something that tennis players are faced with at some period of their career. It's an injury that's more common than I initially thought.
"My recovery has been astonishing, in a way, because it's been quicker, in fact, than any other player."
Thiem and Wawrinka lose five-set rollercoasters
Dominic Thiem (L) made the final in 2020 and Stan Wawrinka (R) won the title in 2014.
Former champion Stan Wawrinka and ex-finalist Dominic Thiem both lost in five sets as they search for their glittering form from the past.
Despite hitting the sort of blistering groundstrokes which helped the 30-year-old win the 2020 US Open, Austrian Thiem could not complete a comeback from two sets down, eventually succumbing to 27th seed Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-3 7-5 6-7 (5-7) 5-7 6-3.
At four hours and 59 minutes and finishing at 01:40 local time, it was the longest match of the Canadian's career. The 23-year-old is also looking to rediscover the level that took him to a career-high ranking of sixth in the world.
Meanwhile, three-time Grand Slam champion Wawrinka said he hoped this year would not be his last time at Melbourne Park after letting his lead slip to French 20th seed Adrian Mannarino, who came back to win 6-4 3-6 5-7 6-3 6-0 on Kia Arena.
"I'll see how the year goes. In general, I'm quite positive with where I am right now," the 38-year-old said.
"Even after the loss, there is some good opportunity for me to keep pushing, keep playing some good results and hopefully I can come back next year."
Elsewhere, 10th seed Alex de Minaur is into round two after Canadian former semi-finalist Milos Raonic retired in the third set on Rod Laver Arena while the Australian was leading 6-7 (6-8) 6-3 2-0.
On his main-draw debut, Italian qualifier Flavio Cobolli shocked 18th seed Nicolas Jarry by winning 6-4 3-6 6-3 2-6 7-5 on court 13.
American 21-year-old 16th seed Ben Shelton, who reached the US Open semi-finals last year, defeated Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut 6-2 7-6 (7-2) 7-5.
Compatriot Sebastian Korda, the 29th seed, won his opening match against Czech player Vit Kopriva 6-1 6-4 2-6 4-6 6-4.
Ninth seed Hubert Hurkacz of Poland won 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 6-2 against Australian qualifier Omar Jasika and France's two-time quarter-finalist Gael Monfils beat German Yannick Hanfmann 6-4 6-3 7-5.
Spain's 23rd seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina progressed in straight sets against Frenchman Constant Lestienne, winning 6-4 6-4 7-6 (7-5).