Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassim is just days away from a major upset at the Australian Open.
Second seed Daniil Medvedev of Russia defeated No. 9 of Montreal 6-7(4), 3-6, 7-6(2), 7-5, 6-4 in the quarterfinals on Wednesday. The match lasted for four hours 42 minutes.
He fought hard. He left it all there. He went toe-to-toe with the favorite to win @Australian Open,
In the end, it was not to be, and Medvedev defeated Felix Auger-Aliassim in a spectacular comeback in 5 sets, 6-7, 3-6, 7-6, 7-5, 6-4.
Proud of Canada @felixtennis, pic.twitter.com/u2qexS00iz— Tennis Canada (@TennisCanada) 26 January 2022
Medvedev, who became the top-ranked player in the season’s opening Grand Slam after Novak Djokovic’s exile, fought match point in the second set, going 5-4.
Medvedev then missed three break points in his first service game in the fifth set. Soon after that catch, which drew it 1–1, Medvedev recorded the decisive break as Auger-Aliasime double-faulted in the game.
Auger-Aliassie had a trainer taken out to look at his right ankle to reduce the deficit to 3-2 in the fifth set.
The Canadians had another break-point opportunity trailing 4-3, but Medvedev clinched a serve winner en route to the hold.
But it still wasn’t over. Medvedev went 15-40 with serve and 5-4 before fighting for the win.
Medvedev won the most recent Grand Slam – the 2021 US Open – and lost to Djokovic in last year’s Australian Open final.
The 21-year-old was 0-3 against Auger-Aliassim Medvedev coming into the match, which included a straight-sets loss in last year’s US Open semifinal – Canada’s best performance at a Grand Slam – and a 6-4, this month’s Initially lost 6–0 in the ATP Cup in Australia.
Medvedev will now face fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece in the semi-finals. Tsitsipas lead head-to-head 5-2, including victories in the last five matches.
Spain’s sixth seed Rafael Nadal, bidding for a record 21st Grand Slam title, will take on Italy’s seventh seed Matteo Berrettini in the second semi-final. Nadal defeated Canada’s Denis Shapovalov in a five-set quarterfinal on Tuesday.
