Daniil Medvedev, the No. 5 seed, narrowly avoided a stunning first-round upset at the Australian Open, battling back from a two-set deficit to defeat 418th-ranked Kasidit Samrej 6-2, 4-6, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 on Tuesday, The Associated Press reports.
The match was not without controversy, as Medvedev was seen smashing a net camera with his racket during a moment of frustration.
The 2021 US Open champion and three-time Australian Open finalist appeared to struggle against the unseeded Samrej, a wild-card entrant from Thailand making his Grand Slam debut. Medvedev lost the second and third sets, displaying uncharacteristic errors and a visible lack of composure.
“I know I play better when I play more tennis,” Medvedev joked after the match. “So I was like, ‘Why play 1 hour, 30 (minutes)?’ Need a minimum of three hours, at least, to feel my shots better.”
Medvedev’s outburst occurred in the final game of the third set. After losing a 13-stroke point, he reacted with frustration, violently swinging his racket five times into a small black camera attached to the net, shattering it and earning a code violation warning from the chair umpire.
Despite his anger and the set loss, Medvedev managed to regain his composure. He turned the tide, winning 12 of the final 15 games and 61 of the remaining 94 points, displaying the dominance that is expected from a player of his caliber. He finished the match with 24 aces and significantly fewer unforced errors than Samrej, 34 to 69.
“In the end of last year, this match, I probably would have lost it,” said Medvedev, referencing his 3-1 record in five-setters at last year’s tournament. “New year, new energy.”
Samrej received treatment for a left leg issue late in the fourth set, hindering his ability to maintain the level he demonstrated in the second and third sets. The Thai player had been attempting to become the lowest-ranked player to eliminate a top-five seed at a Grand Slam since the ATP rankings began. The current record is held by No. 234 Alex Kim, who beat No. 4 Yevgeny Kafelnikov at the 2002 Australian Open.
Samrej, who qualified for the tournament through a wild-card playoff for the Asia-Pacific region, had never faced a player ranked higher than 78th before Tuesday. His performance against Medvedev was a significant upset, and even surprised the Russian himself.
