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Daniil Medvedev will be out of the ATP top ten for the first time in more than three years after his stunning straight-set loss to Sebastian Korda at the Australian Open on Friday (January 20).
The Russian has reached the final at Melbourne Park in the last two years, losing to Novak Djokovic in 2021 and Rafael Nadal a year later. However, the 2021 US Open winner came undone against Korda, who produced one of the biggest wins of his rather fledgeling career, in the third round.
Korda never looked back after breaking Medvedev early in the first set, eventually grabbing the opener in a tiebreak. The 22-year-old conceded only three games in the second as he took firm control of the contest. Despite squandering a break in the third, Korda regrouped in the ensuing tiebreak fo dump out the seventh seed.
The loss means Medevedev will slip out of the top 10 for the first time since July 15, 2019. Meanwhile, Korda reached the second week of a Grand Slam for the second time.
Korda will now play 10th seed Hubert Hurkacz on Sunday for a place in the last eight at the Australian Open, while Medvedev will wonder what might have been.
"He managed to be strong, and that's what he won" - Daniil Medvedev after loss to Sebastian Korda
Daniil Medvedev had no qualms admitting that he was up against an inspired opponent on the night.
Nevertheless, the former World No. 1 said that he never stopped believing that he could win. That did look likely when he retrieved a break in the third, but Sebastian Korda reasserted his ascendancy to close out victory in straight sets.
In his post-match press conference, Medvedev opined that he had chances to get back into the match but couldn't do so, saying:
"Inside my mind I was believing I can win because, well, it would be stupid to not believe in yourself. So exactly when I turned a little bit around and got the break back, I was, like, come on, try to be all over him.
"I had two times, if we can say, return for the set. I wanted to make him play. I wanted to be there, but he managed to be strong, and that's why he won, and big congrats to him."
Medvedev is now 5-2 on the season, having made the semifinals at the Adelaide 1 international two weeks ago where he lost to Novak Djokovic.
