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Former tennis player and Andy Murray's ex-coach Mark Petchey has lauded Daniil Medvedev for his remarkable run at the 2024 Australian Open, where he lost to Jannik Sinner in the final.
Medvedev spent a total of 24 hours and 17 minutes on the court during the Melbourne Major last month — a record in the Open Era. Four of his seven matches during the competition went to the fifth set, including the final against Sinner.
The Russian won the first two games 6-3, 6-3 and seemed to be on his way to win his first-ever Major Down Under. Sinner, however, mounted a comeback for the ages, taking the final three sets 6-4, 6-4, 6-3.
The match mirrored Medvedev's loss to Rafael Nadal in the final of the 2022 Australian Open, where he won the first two sets before losing the match to the Spaniard. The Russian has now lost five of the six Major finals he has played in, including the 2021 final in Melbourne, which he lost to Novak Djokovic in straight sets.
Sympathizing with Medvedev's final 'heartbreak' against Sinner, Petchey said on the latest episode of the 'Tennis Channel Inside-In' podcast (at 28:10):
"A big shout out to Daniil [Medvedev] for that run at Australia and for the final that he gave us. I mean, absolute heartbreak. It's rare that you commentate on a match and you have completely mixed emotions at the end of it, because you want to be supper happy for Jannik [Sinner]."
"But to lose two Aussie Open finals from two sets to love up, and also completely gear-shift your strategy; bombing ground, he is standing up on the baseline... huge kudos to Daniil and hopefully there is another Major around the corner for him."
Medvedev was also the losing finalist at the 2019 and 2023 US Open. Flushing Meadows was also the site of his first and, to date, only Major win, when he beat Djokovic 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 in the 2021 final.
Daniil Medvedev follows in Rafael Nadal's footsteps in withdrawing from Qatar Open
Daniil Medvedev will not be able to defend his title at the Qatar Open as he has pulled out of the 2024 edition due to fatigue and a foot injury. The current World No. 3 won last year's final by beating Andy Murray.
Medvedev pulled out of the ATP 500 event in Rotterdam — another title he won in 2023 — earlier this month for the same reason. The field in Qatar will now be led by his compatriot and World No. 5 Andrey Rublev.
The ATP 250 tournament in Doha is scheduled to take place from February 19 to 24 and features some of the tour's finest players, including Rublev, Karen Khachanov, Ugo Humbert and Alexander Bublik.
