Fifth seed and multiple Australian Open finalist Daniil Medvedev made headlines for all the wrong reasons during his first-round match on Tuesday, where an emotional meltdown saw him smash his racquet against the net. Despite the drama, the Russian star managed to overcome Thai wildcard and world No. 418 Kasidit Samrej in a grueling five-set battle, securing a 6-2, 4-6, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 victory in just over three hours.
Medvedev dominated the opening set, but the match took an unexpected turn when Samrej broke his serve to clinch the second set 6-4. The Thai underdog, competing in his first best-of-five match, continued to trouble Medvedev, taking the third set and pushing the fifth seed to the brink of one of tennis’s biggest upsets.
Samrej’s decisive break came in the eighth game of the third set, where a series of Medvedev’s unforced errors, including a double fault, gifted the wildcard the opportunity. At 30-15 while serving for the set, Samrej’s net cord shot clipped the tape and dropped just beyond Medvedev’s reach, earning him the set and leaving the Russian visibly frustrated.
Medvedev’s emotions boiled over after the lucky net cord. He smashed his racquet repeatedly into the net, damaging the camera attached to it. The chair umpire promptly issued a code violation, and Medvedev later admitted he expected a fine for his actions.
“The fine is usually for breaking the racquet,” he quipped. “The camera is going to cost some, but I don’t think a GoPro is that expensive. What I have to say is the camera was very, very strong, because my racquet didn’t handle the damage, but the camera did.”
The meltdown seemed to ignite a fire in Medvedev, as he dominated the fourth set, winning it 6-1. With Samrej’s energy waning, Medvedev carried the momentum into the decider, controlling the pace and sealing the match with a 6-2 final set.
Medvedev credited the extended match for helping him rediscover his rhythm, joking with the Rod Laver Arena crowd afterward. “I know that I play better when I play more tennis,” he said. “So I was like, why play one hour and 30 minutes? I need a minimum of three hours to feel my shots better.”
Though Samrej ultimately fell short, his performance was nothing short of remarkable. The 23-year-old earned his spot in the main draw after four wins in the Asia/Pacific Wildcard Playoff in November and displayed a level of play that caught Medvedev off guard.
“I was surprised,” Medvedev admitted. “If he plays like this every match, his life can be good. Money, girls, casino … whatever.”
Medvedev advances to face 19-year-old American qualifier Learner Tien, who also endured a five-set battle in his opening round.