Medvedev Outlasts Zverev, Auger-Aliassime Wins Thriller In Indian Wells

Two dramatic matches began and ended the day in the desert. Rivals and Masters champions Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Zverev collided in the first match of the day and the contest lived up to the hype with the Russian prevailing Alexander Zverev 6-7(5-7), 7-6(7-5), 7-5.

Medvedev overcame a right ankle turn in the middle of the second then overcame the nerves after failing to serve it out in the third to break and then get the job done in three hours, 16 minutes.

“I twisted it, let’s say, pretty bad,” Medvedev said. “The moment I twisted it I thought it’s gonna be just fine and I’m gonna stand up and then the pain started raising, let’s say brutally. I actually thought it’s gonna be bad and I’m not gonna be able to continue. Then they taped it. In the beginning it was quite painful, so I was more concerned and focused on my ankle than the game.

“Then that actually helped me a little bit to play better. Then, for the rest of the match, adrenaline was probably kicking in. So it was not easy to walk, that’s why I was limping, but to move was easier.”

Medvedev will have no recovery for the ankle as he returns today to face Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina who ousted Cristian Garin 6-3, 6-4. Will Medvedev be able to go the next day?

“Now that I have cooled down, it’s big,” Medvedev said. “I cannot walk properly. But if everything is going to be fine, I’m gonna tape it tomorrow, take one painkiller, and go to play. So not much more to add for the moment. Pretty painful, but nothing too bad hopefully.”

In the last match of the day, Felix Auger-Aliassime saved six match points to defeat Tommy Paul 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(8-6). Paul went up an early break in the third to lead 3-0, then had three match points at 0-40 on the Canadian’s serve and again ahead 6-3 in the breaker. Auger-Aliassime would win the last five points on the match.

“I always stayed positive, I kept my hopes up, I kept thinking, ‘OK, I’m not that far, I can come back,'” Auger-Aliassime told the ATP. “At the end, when you’re down 0-40 on your serve, you know that… ‘OK if I win this first one, serve well, then again, then again, we’re back on even terms.’

Auger-Aliassime will try to go up 3-0 against Alcaraz in the quarters on Thursday.

The top seed Alcaraz got a retirement from Jack Draper at 6-2, 2-0. The NextGen clash was cut short due to an ab injury Draper carried into the match. Alcaraz advances his 20th career quarterfinal. His 6th at the Masters level.

Defending champion Taylor Fritz got the better of Marton Fucsovics 6-4, 6-3. The 5th-ranked Fritz hit four doubles, was 3 of 5 on break chances and was broken once. Fritz makes his 36th career quarterfinal. His 6th at the Masters level.

Also, former champ Cameron Norrie bounced 6th-seeded Andrey Rublev in straight sets 6-2, 6-4. No. 11 seed Jannik Sinner stopped former finalist Stan Wawrinka 6-1, 6-4. And No. 14 seed Frances Tiafoe defeated Alejandro Tabilo of Chile 6-4, 6-4.

On tap Wednesday, the quarterfinals begin with Medvedev and Davidovich Fokina. Medvedev is a perfect 2-0 against Davidovich Fokina in their tour-level clashes, winning their last battle at Rotterdam last month.

And Tiafoe taking on Norrie. Norrie was the victor in their only previous meeting in the 2021 Delray Beach quarters.

WEDNESDAY INDIAN WELLS SCHEDULE
STADIUM 1
Matches Start At: 11:00 am
ATP Cameron NORRIE (GBR) [10] vs Frances TIAFOE (USA) [14]
Not Before 1:00 PM
WTA Coco Gauff (USA) [6] vs Aryna Sabalenka [2]
Not Before 3:00 pm
ATP Daniil MEDVEDEV [5] vs Alejandro DAVIDOVICH FOKINA (ESP) [23]

Not Before 6:00 PM
WTA Maria Sakkari (GRE) [7] vs Petra Kvitova (CZE) [15]
ATP Simone BOLELLI (ITA)/Fabio FOGNINI (ITA) vs John ISNER (USA)/Jack SOCK (USA)