Miami Open: Daniil Medvedev comes from behind to defeat world No. 164.
Ninth seed Daniil Medvedev narrowly escaped defeat after a 22-point tie-break against Rei Sakamoto, while Felix Auger-Aliassime struggled to secure his place in the next round.
It took three sets and some nail-biting moments for ninth seed Daniil Medvedev to finally overcome world number 164 Rei Sakamoto in the first round of the Miami Open. The match was not only a test of skill but also a true test of character for the Russian star against the young and dramatic opponent.
The earthquake that fell from the Rei Sakamoto phenomenon.
The match opened with a scenario few tennis fans could have imagined. Despite the huge difference in rankings, young Rei Sakamoto entered the match with confidence, playing on equal terms with his opponent.Daniel Medvedevin each game. Both players went into a tense tie-break to decide the winner of the first set.
Here, the drama reached its peak as the two players constantly chased each other's scores. In a tie-breaker that lasted 22 points, Sakamoto showed more composure in the decisive moments to win 12-10, officially surpassing the former champion in the first set.
The resilience of the ninth seed and the turning point in his physical condition.
Entering the second set, the pressure mounted on Medvedev as his Japanese opponent continued his momentum. Sakamoto had an early opportunity to secure a break and decide the match, but a mistake in capitalizing on the chance proved costly. Taking advantage of his opponent's vulnerability, Medvedev successfully broke serve and won the set 6-4, bringing the match back to square one.
Sakamoto's physical decline became apparent in the deciding set. Having exhausted himself in the previous two sets, the world number 164 player could no longer maintain his powerful shots. Medvedev quickly took complete control of the match, winning swiftly 6-1 to close out a hard-fought comeback with a final score of 2-1.
Auger-Aliassime and a hard-fought victory after two penalty shootouts.
In other news, the 7th seedFelix Auger-AliassimeHe also secured his place in the next round after defeating Fucsovics. This was a match where the Canadian player's composure in the final games came to the fore at the right moment.
In the first set, the two players maintained a back-and-forth battle, only deciding the winner in a tie-break, where Auger-Aliassime proved more accurate. A similar scenario repeated itself in the second set, requiring all 12 games of regulation time. However, the Canadian player broke through in the decisive game to win 7-5, ending the match with a 2-0 victory after intense physical exchanges.