Daniil Medvedev risked a serious setback at Wimbledon on Saturday when he let 2017 finalist Marin Cilic win the first two sets. of a match in which the Russian finally came back to win by 6-7 (3), 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 and 6-2 at 2:36. The world number two underwent unnecessary wear, because he is far superior to the Croatian, a star who has hit a huge physical and tennis slump that prevents him from succeeding in the Grand Slams at 32 years old.
Medvedev endured his rival's 49 winning shots and simply took advantage of his multiple errors (68) little by little to regain ground and end up winning in such a relaxed way that the last games were more typical of an exhibition pachanga than of the third round of a major, with jokes, laughter from the public and the complicity of the players when it comes to vacillating the chair umpire. The sympathetic Daniil recalled in the subsequent court interview the times he was on the verge of lifting a 0-2, as in the 2019 US Open against Nadal. “That can't happen to me again.” It was the thought that he confessed that came to his head. THe will have to be more serious if he wants to beat the Polish Hubert Hurkacz on Monday, a steamroller who has not yet lost a set and who passed over the Kazakh Bublik (6-3, 6-4 and 6-2).
Matteo Berrettini returns to the second round in London after beating Slovenian Bedene (triple 6-4 in 1:42) without excessive difficulties. The Italian will face the surprising Ilya Ivashka, the 27-year-old Belarusian and 79th in the world who had never passed the second round in a major and is already in the fourth after beating Australian Jordan Thompson also by a triple 6-4. Alexander Zverev is also advancing with a firm step and good looks. The German fought well to beat the meritorious American Taylor Fritz, who just a few weeks ago underwent surgery on his right knee. Sascha beat him with effort by 6-7 (3), 6-4, 6-3 and 7-6 (4). They will be seen with a rested Felix Auger-Aliassime, who went through the retirement of the peculiar Nick Kyrgios when the duel was even (2-6 and 6-1). The Australian, a case, left his shoes in the locker room when he went out on the track and one of the tournament referees brought them to him. Later he was treated by doctors for an abdominal injury that forced him to leave. In the end, he has paid for the more than four months that he has been off the slopes.
Results and men's box calendar.