By Chris Oddo | Saturday January 13, 2018
Russia's Daniil Medvedev captured his first career title with a three-set win over Alex de Minaur in Sydney.
Photo: Mark Metcalfe/Getty
Russia’s Daniil Medvedev is off to a flyer in 2018. The 21-year-old rallied past one of the surprise stories of the first two weeks of the tennis season, edging 18-year-old Alex de Minaur, 1-6, 6-4, 7-5.
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In what was the youngest combined final by age in over a decade, de Minaur stormed out of the gates to take the first set with the loss of just one game. Medvedev up his commitment and minimized his risk in sets two and three, and he and de Minaur contested several long rallies in the final two sets of their two hour and 13 minute contest.
It wasn’t simple at all for the Russian. He squandered a 4-0 lead in the final set and had to battle tooth-and-nail to earn another late break and clinch his maiden title.
De Minaur saved a match point with Medvedev serving for the match at 3-5, broke then held for 5-5, But Medvedev converted his fourth break point to take a 6-5 lead and served the match out on his second try.
"It's amazing," Medvedev said. "I'm really happy. I mean, to make it through the qualies, there were so many circumstances.”
With his victory Medvedev becomes the fourth qualifier to win in Sydney since 2003. He will rise to No.53 in the ATP rankings on Monday.