NEW DELHI: Fifth seed Daniil Medvedev overcame 102-ranked Alexandre Muller on Wednesday to advance to the third round of Wimbledon.
Medvedev secured a 6-7(3), 7-6(4), 6-4, 7-5 victory in a match lasting over three-and-a-half hours.
Despite early setbacks, including losing the first set to the Frenchman and saving a set point to avoid a 2-0 deficit, Medvedev found his rhythm and ultimately prevailed.
Medvedev, who was the runner-up at the Australian Open, initially struggled on Centre Court. In their first tour-level meeting, Muller, ranked 102nd, took the first set in a tiebreak. Medvedev had to work hard to stave off a set point in the second set before leveling the match in another tiebreak. From there, Medvedev outlasted Muller in a hard-fought third set and clinched the match in the fourth set.
The 28-year-old Russian, who reached the semi-finals at Wimbledon last year, faced a determined Muller. Despite needing a medical timeout for a left thigh issue before the fourth set, Muller kept pace with Medvedev.
The Frenchman impressed the crowd with unconventional shots like underarm serves and tweeners but struggled with the grass surface, having won only three matches on it in his career.
Medvedev adjusted his strategy after losing the first set, increasing his net attacks. This approach paid off as both players exchanged breaks in the second and third sets. Watched by compatriot and 2004 Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova from the Royal Box, Medvedev was not at his clinical best but managed to force Muller into crucial errors.
One pivotal moment was when Muller failed a drop shot, handing Medvedev the third set. The fourth set seemed destined for a tiebreak until Muller gave up two match points on his serve, culminating in a double fault that granted Medvedev the win.
"When you win, there is the next round to try and do better," the former world number one said on court.
"For some reason it (the grass) feels really slow, I need to get used to it but the more matches I play on it the more chances I have to play better... (I'm) happy to play on Centre Court at Wimbledon but even more happy to win."
