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Daniil Medvedev had to go the distance during his Australian Open second-round match against Emil Ruusuvuori on Thursday (January 18), needing four hours and 21 minutes to beat the Finn in five sets. Having started his match after 10 pm, the Russian left the Rod Laver Arena well past 3 am the following morning, which upset many fans on social media.
Medvedev looked on course for a surprise exit early in the match, dropping the first two sets to the World No. 53 Ruusuvuori. The third seed, however, quickly struck back and took the third set. The two players then toe-to-toe in the fourth, requiring a tiebreaker to decide it.
Daniil Medvedev maintained his composure to run away with the tiebreaker. He registered a bagel in the final set to complete a 4-6, 6-7(1), 6-4, 7-6(1), 6-0 win and reach the third round of the 2024 Australian Open.
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Although the match was thrilling, Medvedev's late finish didn't sit well with fans. One fan disapproved of the second-round clash finishing well past 3 am, stating that it could have physical ramifications for both players.
"Repeat after me: Tennis matches shouldn't finish at 3:40 a.m., it's not healthy for anybody," they wrote.
Another fan claimed that forcing the pros to play at ungodly hours was disrespectful to them. They also tagged Australian Open director Craig Tiley in their message.
"These late nights at the @AustralianOpen have to stop. I’m sorry this is a disgrace to the players, their health, and their wellbeing. No other sport expects an athlete to be out at this time, for this long still competing. Tennis needs to do better! @CraigTiley #AustralianOpen," they wrote.
Here are a few more reactions from social media:
Daniil Medvedev to face Felix Auger-Aliassime for a place in the 4th round at Australian Open 2024
Daniil Medvedev will take on 27th-seeded Felix Auger-Aliassime in the third round of the Australian Open on Saturday (January 20). The clash between the Russian and the Canadian will mark their seventh career meeting on the ATP Tour.
Medvedev leads Auger-Aliassime by a huge margin of 6-0 in their rivalry. Having said that, the 27-year-old hasn't always had it easy during their encounters. The 2021 US Open winner came back from a two-set deficit to beat the young Canadian in the quarterfinals of the Melbourne Slam two years ago.
Auger-Aliassime, on his part, needed five hours to get past a resurgent Dominic Thiem in a five-set thriller in his Melbourne opener. The 23-year-old had a relatively easier time on the court on Thursday, beating French qualifier Hugo Grenier in four sets to reach the third round.
