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Tennis star Daniil Medvedev won the first round of the Australian Open 2025, as the Russian toppled World Number 414 Kasidit Samrej in the opening thriller to head to the next round of the showpiece event. The 28-year-old tennis star had a terrific start to the game as he crushed Samrej in the first set of the game.
Daniil Medvedev after beating Samrej in Australian Open R1
β The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) January 14, 2025
βI know I play better when I play more tennis. So I was like Why play 1 hour and 30 minutes? I need minimum 3 hours at leastβ π
pic.twitter.com/VsWKSn6Fh7
However, the Russian suffered a big setback in the second and third sets against the Thai star. The star player again showcased his dominance at Melbourne Park and denied the victory of the opponent by winning the fourth set to head into the final set of the game. The 28-year-old carried the stunning form and won the fifth set to win the opening round and successfully made it to the second round on Day 3 of the showpiece event.
Medvedev d. Samrej 6-2 4-6 3-6 6-1 6-2 at Australian Open
β The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) January 14, 2025
Pretty sure no one predicted this would be 5 sets
But last year, Daniil played four 5 setters en route to the final & spent more time on court than anyone
Maybe a good omen for the 3x finalist
β 1st win of 2025
π pic.twitter.com/xuwTiB8RL5
Daniil Medvedev aims to disrupt Carlos Alcaraz-Jannik Sinner ATP dominance
Ahead of his first-round game, Daniil Medvedev sets his sights on disrupting the emerging Grand Slam orders, which have been dominated by stars like Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. The star player, who faced back-to-back setbacks at the three major championships back in 2024 due to this duo, had aimed to reclaim his position as a top contender.
Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz toppled the former world number one in the Australian Open, US Open, and Wimbledon, which showcases that Medvedev's Grand Slam journey has been challenging after the youngsters have been dominating the ATP rankings.
“I was less of a disruptor (in 2024) because Carlos and Jannik were beating me a lot of times. A lot of tournaments I was getting to the good stages but not able to beat them. I would like to become again—I don’t even know this word—but let’s say disruptor because it means that I will be able to get to these later stages and win them,” Medvedev told reporters at Melbourne Park.