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Daniil Medvedev’s thrilling comeback victory against Alexander Zverev at the 2024 Australian Open has delighted tennis fans.
Arch-rivals Medvedev and Zverev locked horns in a blockbuster semifinal clash at the Melbourne Slam on Friday, January 26. The latter had a positive start, edging out the former 7-5 in the opening set. With the momentum in his favor, Zverev increased his lead to two sets to love, by clinching the second set 6-3.
In the third set, however, Medvedev challenged his opponent to a neck-and-neck battle, which went in his favor in the tiebreak, 7-6(4). The Russian kept his nerve in the fourth set and produced a similar outcome 7-6(5) to force a decider.
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With a fighting chance of making the final after leveling the score, Daniil Medvedev came out with all guns blazing in the fifth set. The World No. 3 broke Alexander Zverev in the fifth game to earn a 3-2 lead. He maintained the lead to cross the finish line with the score reading 5-7, 3-6, 7-6(4), 7-6(5), 6-3.
Medvedev flipping the script during the late-night, four hours and 18 minutes-long clash thrilled tennis fans online.
"Rent was due. Lights were flickering. Bills unpaid. The water was cut off. The eviction notice was on the front door. The police were outside. Rublev was about to get custody of Alisa. He had one chance," one fan hilariously wrote on X.
Several others, who were cheering against Alexander Zverev in light of the domestic abuse allegations leveled against him by his ex-girlfriends, thanked Daniil Medvedev for knocking the German out of the competition.
"Thank you Daniil. I couldn't take to watch 1 more match of this abuser," a fan said.
"Daniil Medvedev feminist icon," another fan wrote on Reddit.
This is the second time that Zverev has lost a Grand Slam match after having won the first two sets. His other such loss came against Dominic Thiem in the final of the 2020 US Open.
"Zverev is never beating these choker allegations," one fan said.
Here are a few more reactions from tennis fans:
After victory over Alexander Zverev, Daniil Medvedev to meet Jannik Sinner in Australian Open 2024 final
The 2024 Australian Open semifinal marked Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Zverev's 19th meeting on tour. With the win, the Russian, who won five of their six encounters from last year, bettered his head-to-head record against the German to 12-7.
Medvedev, the 2021 US Open champion, is now through to his sixth Grand Slam final and his third in Melbourne, after runner-up finishes in 2021 and 2022.
In pursuit of his second Major, Medvedev will face a familiar foe in Jannik Sinner in Sunday’s title clash. Sinner defeated 10-time champion Novak Djokovic to book his spot in the championship match, aiming to win his maiden Grand Slam title in Melbourne Park.
