Daniil Medvedev continues to assert his dominance at the Brisbane International, reaching the quarterfinals with a convincing 6-3, 6-2 victory over Frances Tiafoe. This win marks the Russian’s 90th career quarterfinal appearance and puts him firmly in contention for his 22nd career title.
In a performance characterized by a dominant serve, Medvedev faced no break points throughout the match, showcasing his prowess against the American. Historically, Medvedev has held a strong edge in their head-to-head meetings, now standing at six wins to one loss against Tiafoe.
Reflecting on his match, Medvedev expressed satisfaction with his serving. “The court is pretty fast so you need to serve well, and I am happy with the way I served. I felt I played much better than in the first round, didn’t face a break point, and that puts a lot of pressure on the opponent,” he stated, highlighting the impact of his serving performance.
The 29-year-old, currently ranked 13th in the world, is returning to Brisbane for the second time, having reached the final during his last visit in 2019. His next opponent will be Kamil Majchrzak, who pulled off a thrilling win against Reilly Opelka, saving three match points to prevail 6-7(2), 7-6(7), 7-6(8).
In additional matches, Alex Michelsen claimed victory over fellow American Learner Tien, winning 6-4, 6-2. Michelsen, a product of junior training camps with Tien, has now secured three wins in their four tour encounters. He is set to challenge Sebastian Korda next after Korda advanced courtesy of defending champion Jiri Lehecka’s retirement due to an ankle injury while trailing 6-3, 1-2.
The quarterfinal lineup took shape with an unexpected upset as Raphael Collignon eliminated former champion Grigor Dimitrov, winning 7-6(1), 6-3. The match lasted one hour and 49 minutes, during which Collignon saved all three break points he faced, continuing his giant-killing run after previous victories over Denis Shapovalov.
“It was an honour for me to play against Grigor. I grew up watching him, and now I have the chance to compete against such a great champion,” Collignon remarked after his impressive triumph. He will face another American, Brandon Nakashima, who advanced with a solid win against Quentin Halys, securing a place in the quarterfinals.
Another notable result came from Frenchman Mpetshi Perricard, who defeated Australian qualifier Rinky Hijikata 4-6, 7-6(5), 7-6(4), further building on his surprising first-round victory against fourth seed Tommy Paul. Perricard hit 53 winners in this close contest and now looks ahead to facing Aleksandar Kovacevic, who prevailed over seventh seed Cameron Norrie with a score of 7-6(4), 4-6, 6-4.
As the tournament progresses, the stage is set for thrilling matchups in the quarterfinals, with Medvedev looking to capitalize on his strong form and the contenders hungry to make their mark.
