Melbourne: Daniil Medvedev was made to work for his place in the third round of the Australian Open, grinding out a 6-7(9), 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 victory over France’s Quentin Halys on Wednesday at John Cain Arena.
The result continued Medvedev’s strong start to the 2026 season, extending his unbeaten run to seven matches and equaling the best opening streak of his career, set during his standout 2021 campaign.
Now ranked World No. 11, Medvedev once again found himself navigating a familiar script in the early rounds of a major. While he opened the season with a series of straight-set wins during his title run in Brisbane, clean passages at Grand Slams have been harder to come by.
The Russian has not passed through the first two rounds of a major without conceding a set since Wimbledon 2023, a trend that persisted after he dropped a dramatic 20-point tiebreak in the opening set against Halys. From there, Medvedev steadied himself, striking early breaks in both the second and third sets to wrest control of the contest.
After closing out the match in four sets, Medvedev signed the camera lens with the words ‘Not 5 sets,’ a knowing nod to his reputation for marathon encounters at Melbourne Park.
Under the guidance of new coaches Thomas Johansson and Rohan Goetzke, the Australian Open finalist from 2021 appears physically reinvigorated, displaying the endurance and defensive resolve that defined his most successful year.
That season saw him reach the final in Melbourne, capture his maiden Grand Slam title at the US Open, and lead Russia to triumphs at the ATP Cup and Davis Cup, finishing with a tour-leading 63 wins.
The victory sends Medvedev into the round of 32 at a Grand Slam for the first time since the 2024 US Open, bringing an end to a difficult stretch at the sport’s biggest events. He will next face Hungary’s Fábián Marozsán, who advanced with an assured win over Kamil Majchrzak.
Meanwhile, Andrey Rublev also booked his place in the third round, overcoming Portuguese qualifier Jaime Faria 6-4, 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 in the opening match of the day on Margaret Court Arena. The 13th seed was briefly unsettled by the World No. 151, who surged to claim the third set, but Rublev’s power and experience proved decisive.
After appearing on course for a straight-sets victory, the World No. 15 regained control in the fourth set, holding serve under pressure and finding a crucial break at 6-5 to avoid a deciding set. The win marked Rublev’s seventh consecutive appearance in the Australian Open round of 32 and lifted his early-season record to 4-1, underlining a solid start to his 2026 campaign.
(IANS)
