Daniil Medvedev makes shocking mid-match retirement to give Novak Djokovic victory in thriller at Astana Open
:focal(145x121:147x119)/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2022/07/15/3411067-69701524-310-310.jpg)
Published 08/10/2022 at 14:52 GMT
Daniil Medvedev shocked everyone, including Novak Djokovic, by suddenly pulling out of the pair’s semi-final after the second set tie-break at the Astana Open. The match was set for a decider, until Medvedev retired due to a problem with his adapter muscle in his leg. Djokovic will play Stefanos Tsitsipas, who beat Andrey Rublev earlier in the day, in the final on Sunday.
Highlights: Djokovic reaches Astana Open semi-finals after beating Khachanov
Daniil Medvedev retired suddenly from his thrilling semi-final match with Novak Djokovic at the Astana Open, to hand a 4-6 7-6(6) victory to the Serbian.
After an epic second set tie-break, which was won by Djokovic, Medvedev walked to the umpire and pulled out of the match due to a leg injury to the confusion of everybody.
Djokovic will play Stefanos Tsitsipas, who beat Andrey Rublev earlier in the day, in the final on Sunday.
“I am still surprised that he retired from the match,” said Djokovic in his on-court interview.
“He looked completely fine. Maybe the last seven or eight points I saw he moved slightly slower but it’s a shock.
“I was ready for a third set battle. I really hope his injury is nothing too serious. I know Daniil, he’s a great guy, a fighter and a big competitor.
“He wouldn’t retire from a match if he felt he couldn’t continue or to worsen his injury, he told me he pulled the adapter muscle in his leg.
“It was such a close match, particularly in the second set. I would say he was the better player on the court in both sets. I was fighting to try and find a way. I found a way to win the second [set].
“It’s really sad for the tournament and the people who were enjoying the battle and for Daniil that it had to end this way.”
The first set went the way of Medvedev after three breaks in a row, two of which came from the Russian.
Both players showed their incredible athleticism with several long rallies in the battle between the two former world No. 1s.
Djokovic couldn’t believe some of the shots Medvedev was playing, so he joyfully threw his racquet into the crowd towards the end of the second set.
He received a warning for the incident and argued with the umpire, calling the decision “ridiculous”.
There was nothing to separate them in the second set with Medvedev fighting hard in the tie-break, only to be edged out before he retired.
“We played a lot of drop shots once the balls got really big and fluffy,” said Djokovic. “I couldn’t really penetrate through him, he’s like a wall.
“I’ve been in those shoes myself throughout my career when players thought they couldn’t put the ball past me.
“Now I see how it feels when, on the opposite side of the net, there is someone that really doesn’t make mistakes and makes you work really hard for every single point.
“The tie-break was super exciting and the house was on fire here.”
Scan me
Related Topics
Share this article
Advertisement
Advertisement