Australian Open: Medvedev survives huge scare against wildcard Samrej to make second round

Russian Daniil Medvedev, the No 5 seed, moved into the second round of the Australian Open by beating Thai wildcard Kasidit Samrej 6-2, 4-6, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 at Melbourne Park.

A three-time former finalist in Melbourne – including his five-set loss to Jannik Sinner last season – fifth-seeded Medvedev looked to be in serious danger of an early exit as he fell two-sets-to-one down against the impressive Samrej.

But the young wildcard soon began to tire physically, which gave Medvedev his opprtunity to sprint away with the fourth and fifth sets.

The Russian played four five-set matches in Melbourne last year, and he has picked up where he left off this season with another gruelling opener in the Australian heat.

“I know that I play better when I play more tennis. So I was like, ‘why play one hour 30’, maybe I needed to play three hours minimum to feel my shots better, to have a good sensation,” Medvedev said, who comes into the Australian Open without playing any warm-up tournaments.

I am probably never going to play a lead-up tournament now unless they move it, being with my kids.

“It only gives me good energy. In the last year I probably would have lost this match but new year, new energy and I’m happy to win this match.”

Medvedev, ranked No 5, will play American qualifier Learner Tien next.

Melbourne (Grand Slam), other first-round results (Melbourne Park, hard, USD 60.627.573, most recent results first):

• Andrey Rublev vs. Joao Fonseca
• Alexei Popyrin vs. Corentin Moutet
• Botic van de Zandschulp vs. Alex De Minaur
• Roberto Bautista Agut vs. Denis Shapovalov
• Pablo Carreno Busta vs. Kamil Majchrzak
• Marcos Giron vs. Yannick Hanfmann
• Tomas Martin Etcheverry vs. Flavio Cobolli: tuesday
• Rinky Hijikata vs. Mitchell Krueger: tuesday
• Tristan Boyer vs. Federico Coria: tuesday
• Lorenzo Sonego vs. Stan Wawrinka: tuesday
• Ben Shelton vs. Brandon Nakashima: tuesday
• Matteo Arnaldi vs. Lorenzo Musetti: tuesday
• Francisco Comesana vs. Daniel Altmaier: tuesday
• Facundo Diaz Acosta vs. Zizou Bergs: tuesday
• Hubert Hurkacz (18) beat Tallon Griekspoor: 7-5, 6-4, 6-4
• Gael Monfils beat Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard (30): 7-6 (7), 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-7 (5), 6-4
• Francisco Cerundolo (31) beat Alexander Bublik: 7-6 (1), 6-3, 6-2
• Cristian Garin (Q) beat Borna Coric: 7-5, 6-1, 6-2
• Learner Tien beat Camilo Ugo Carabelli: 4-6, 7-6 (3), 6-3, 5-7, 6-4
• Taylor Fritz (4) beat Jenson Brooksby: 6-2, 6-0, 6-3
• Holger Rune (13) beat Zhizhen Zhang: 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4
• Karen Khachanov (19) beat Adrian Mannarino: 7-6 (5), 6-3, 6-3
• Gabriel Diallo beat Luca Nardi: 6-7 (1), 7-6 (3), 5-7, 6-1, 6-2
• Matteo Berrettini beat Cameron Norrie: 6-7 (4), 6-4, 6-1, 6-3
• Miomir Kecmanovic beat Dusan Lajovic: 7-5, 3-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3
• Tommy Paul (12) beat Christopher O’Connell: 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-7 (5), 7-5
• Francesco Passaro (LL) beat Grigor Dimitrov (10): 7-5, 2-1 ret.
• Benjamin Bonzi beat David Goffin: 6-1, 6-2, 7-6 (7)
• Jacob Fearnley beat Nick Kyrgios: 7-6 (3), 6-3, 7-6 (2)
• Novak Djokovic (7) beat Nishesh Basavareddy (WC): 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2
• Carlos Alcaraz (3) beat Alexander Shevchenko: 6-1, 7-5, 6-1
• Alejandro Davidovich Fokina beat Juncheng Shang: 7-6 (1), 5-2 ret.
• Felix Auger-Aliassime (29) beat Jan-Lennard Struff: 6-3, 6-0, 4-6, 6-1
• Jaime Faria (Q) beat Pavel Kotov: 6-1, 6-1, 7-5
• Sebastian Korda (22) beat Lukas Klein (Q): 6-3, 0-6, 6-3, 7-6 (6)
• Yoshihito Nishioka beat Aziz Dougaz (Q): 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (3), 6-3
• Arthur Cazaux beat Sebastian Baez (28): 6-3, 5-7, 3-6, 6-0, 6-3
• Thanasi Kokkinakis beat Roman Safiullin: 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-6 (5)
• Jack Draper (15) beat Mariano Navone: 4-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2
• Aleksandar Vukic beat Damir Dzumhur: 6-7 (3), 6-0, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4
• Tristan Schoolkate (WC) beat Taro Daniel: 6-7 (6), 7-6 (4), 6-1, 6-4
• Jordan Thompson (27) beat Dominik Koepfer (Q): 7-6 (3), 6-4, 4-6, 6-3
• Jannik Sinner (1) beat Nicolas Jarry: 7-6 (2), 7-6 (5), 6-1
• James McCabe (WC) beat Martin Landaluce (Q): 6-4, 6-3, 6-4
• James Duckworth beat Dominic Stricker: 6-2, 6-4, 6-2
• Fabian Marozsan beat Thiago Seyboth Wild: 6-3, 6-7 (5), 7-5, 5-7, 7-5
• Nuno Borges beat Alexandre Muller: 6-7 (2), 6-3, 6-2, 7-5
• Roberto Carballes Baena beat Alejandro Tabilo (23): 1-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-6 (1)
• Jakub Mensik beat Nikoloz Basilashvili (Q): 6-1, 6-7 (3), 6-3, 6-3
• Frances Tiafoe (17) beat Arthur Rinderknech: 7-6 (2), 6-3, 4-6, 6-7 (4), 6-3
• Alex Michelsen beat Stefanos Tsitsipas (11): 7-5, 6-3, 2-6, 6-4
• Alexander Zverev (2) beat Lucas Pouille (WC): 6-4, 6-4, 6-4
• Quentin Halys beat Adam Walton: 4-6, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (4), 7-5
• Reilly Opelka beat Gauthier Onclin (Q): 3-6, 7-6 (4), 6-3, 6-2
• Ugo Humbert (14) beat Matteo Gigante (Q): 7-6 (5), 7-5, 6-4
• Pedro Martinez Portero beat Luciano Darderi: 6-3, 4-1 ret.
• Tomas Machac (26) beat Sumit Nagal: 6-3, 6-1, 7-5
• Jiri Lehecka (24) beat Li Tu (WC): 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (1)
• Hady Habib (Q) beat Yunchaokete Bu: 7-6 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (6)
• Casper Ruud (6) beat Jaume Munar: 6-3, 1-6, 7-5, 2-6, 6-1
• Kei Nishikori beat Thiago Monteiro (Q): 4-6, 6-7 (4), 7-5, 6-2, 6-3
• Arthur Fils (20) beat Otto Virtanen: 3-6, 7-6 (4), 6-4, 6-4
• Hugo Gaston beat Omar Jasika (WC): 6-2, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2