Daniil Medvedev admitted he didn’t deserve to win his quarter-final after a victory over Hubert Hurkacz in Toronto. The world No 2 praised his opponent at the net and branded him the better player, apologising for the win. Medvedev was two points away from defeat but managed to edge out the Pole 2-6 7-6(6) 7-6(5) to set up a semi-final clash with John Isner.
The Russian was looking for revenge over Hurkacz, who knocked him out of Wimbledon at the round of 16 stage before going on to make his first ever Grand Slam semi-final.
He got off to a shaky start, virtually handing the Pole the opening set and struggled to hold serve, despite firing an impressive seven aces.
A former finalist at the National Bank Open in its other host city, Montreal, Medvedev then battled through two tight tiebreaks, winning those 8-6 and 7-5 respectively, and sealing the victory with his 23rd ace of the match.
Despite toughing it out to come away with the win, the three-time Masters champion admitted he was the worse player during the encounter.
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“It was definitely not easy. He was on top of me. But to win matches like this gives you a huge boost of confidence. It’s a pleasure to be standing here and giving interviews.”
The Russian will be hoping to his a flurry of aces once again as he faces John Isner in tonight’s (August 14) semi-final.
The 6’10 American is known for his big serve, and Medvedev will need to stay sharp on return to have a look-in.
While two-time Grand Slam finalist thought Hurkacz was the better player during their last-eight match, it’s Medvedev who was superior in his only match against Isner.
