Novak Djokovic, Daniil Medvedev survive five-set thrillers in Australian Open 2021: WATCH

The third round of the Australian Open 2021 witnessed top seed Novak Djokovic and 4th seed Daniil Medvedev being given a run for their money before both players overcame their respective opponents in five sets. Djokovic overcame 27th seed Taylor Fritz 7-1 (7-1), 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 6-2 in three hours and 25 minutes to earn his 78th victory at Melbourne Park. On the other hand, Medvedev defeated 28th seed Filip Krajinovic 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 3-6, 6-0 to claim his first five-set victory.

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Recap of Djokovic vs Fritz five-set thriller 

After winning the first two sets, Djokovic suffered an injury in the third set due to which he had to take a medical timeout for treatment on his side and later was helped more by a trainer. Following the injury, Djokovic struggled to find his rhythm as his American opponent took the next two sets with the match entering the fifth set.

The crowd was forced to leave the Rod Laver Arena at 3-2 in the fourth set due to Victorian Government COVID-19 restrictions, with the rest of the match being played behind closed doors. Inside the empty stadium, the World No. 1 dug deep to claim four consecutive points to clinch the crucial break in the match. Following the break, it was one-way traffic as the Serbian closed out the set and the match.

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Coach walks out during Medvedev vs Krajinovic five-set thriller 

Medvedev, just like Djokovic, started the match by winning the opening two sets, however, the Russian lost the plot in the middle as Krajinovic bounced back to claim the next two sets from the 4th seed. The match also witnessed the Russian tennis star's coach walking out in the middle of the match following a heated argument with the player during 4th set. Various media publications have reported that Medvedev asked coach Gilles Cervara to “just let me play” and be quiet. 

The 25-year-old, however, did not allow the meltdown to get to him as he started the fifth set with a 2-0 lead. Krajinovic did try to fight back into the match, but Medvedev did not allow his opponent to make a comeback and wrapped up the final set 6-0 to advance to the next round. Daniil Medvedev will now take on American Mackenzie McDonald in the fourth round.

 

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Australian Open 2021: Novak Djokovic title defence in trouble

Despite winning the third round contest,  Novak Djokovic's Australian Open title defence is in serious doubt following an injury to his foot. During the third round clash, the World No. 1 saw his left foot give out from under him as he tried to change directions. The 33-year-old slipped awkwardly on the white “MELBOURNE” lettering at the back of the blue court. In the post-match conference, Djokovic said that he has no idea if he will be able to recover from the injury in less than two days. He also added that he was unsure about stepping on the court.

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