Danil Medvedev beat Felix Auger Aliassime 6-3 6-4 6-3 on in the opening match of the night session of the Margaret Court Arena at the Australian Open. Medvedev beat Emil Ruusuvuori in five sets in a late night match at 3.40 am.
Medvedev won all seven head-to-head matches against Auger Aliassime.
Medvedev earned an early break in the third game of the first set. The third seed sealed the first set 6-3 with a double break in the ninth game. Auger Aliassime started the second set with an immediate break in the first game of the second game. Medvedev pulled back on serve in the sixth game to draw level to draw level to 3-3. The Russian player broke for the second time in the 10th game to close out the second set 6-4.
Medvedev broke serve at love in the fourth game to take a 3-1 lead and served out the win on his second match point.
Medvedev, who reached two Australian Open finals in 2020 and 2021, set up a fourth round match against Nuno Borges, who fought back from one set down to upset this year’s Grigor Dimitrov in four sets.
“I saw the first set today and he was playing well. It’s a big achievement to beat Grigor Dimitrov, who was on fire lately. I am looking forward to this match. Hopefully I can show you guys my best level”, said Medvedev.
Alexander Zverev beat 19-year-old Alex Michelsen 6-2 7-6 (7-4) 6-2. Zverev made four double faults, but he won all of his four service games and broke twice in the third and seventh games to clinch the first set 6-2.
Zverev broke serve in the third game to take a 2-1 lead. Michelsen saved a break point in the fifth game before breaking back in the eighth game to draw level to 4-4. Zverev rallied from 2-4 down to win the tie-break 7-4.
Zverev made five double faults and made eleven unforced errors, but he broke twice in the second and eighth games to win the third set 6-2.
Zverev set up a fourth round match against Cameron Norrie, who beat 11th seed Casper Ruud 6-4 6-7 (7-9) 6-4 6-3.
Norrie hit 63 winners, won 41 of his 63 net points and saved nine of the ten break points he faced. He returns to the top 20 in the ATP Ranking.
Norrie won just four of sixteen matches at the end of 2023 and withdrew from his quarter final match in Auckland last week due to a wrist injury.
Norrie converted his first break point in the fourth game to take a 3-1 lead and fought back from 0-40 down to hold serve for 4-2 in the sixth game. Norrie saved another break point before converting his set point with a backhand winner.
Both players went on serve en route to the tie-break. Ruud came back from 2-4 down to win the tie-break 9-7.
Ruud broke serve in the fifth game to take a 3-2 lead, but Norrie broke straight back in the sixth game to draw level to 3-3. Norrie earned another break in the 10th game when Ruud hit a backhand into the net on set point.
Norrie broke serve in the fourth game to take a 3-1 lead and saved a break point to hold serve in the seventh game to hold for 5-2. The British player hit four volley winners in the final game to seal the win.
“I came forward a lot and volleyed really well. I was enjoying myself and I played really well. I had to play really brave and almost won the second set, but I did not let it bother me and it was a good mental performance. I stuck to my game plan and I came through. I have been working hard in the off-season to be a little more aggressive and I managed to do that”, said Norrie.
