Russian stars shone bright under Melbourne lights as Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev secured third-round berths at the Australian Open. Medvedev outlasted Quentin Halys 6-7(9), 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 on John Cain Arena, rebounding from a punishing first-set tiebreak.
The victory pushes his season unbeaten run to seven, rivaling his stellar 2021 exploits. Long criticized for slow Grand Slam starts, Medvedev flipped the script, drawing on veteran savvy and enhanced conditioning from coaches Thomas Johansson and Rohan Goetzke.
He capped the night with a lighthearted ‘5 sets not’ sign to fans, evoking his history of five-set epics here. Facing Fabian Marozsan next, momentum is firmly on his side.
Rublev, the No. 13, survived a scare against Jaime Faria, prevailing 6-4, 6-3, 4-6, 7-5. The qualifier’s resilience shone in set three, but Rublev’s firepower proved decisive on Margaret Court Arena.
With both Russians rolling, the tournament’s narrative shifts toward their quest for glory amid a wide-open field.