Medvedev rallies past Walton in Almaty thriller
Daniil Medvedev stares down a second-set deficit and a lingering rivalry sting, pulling off a gritty comeback at the Almaty Open to edge closer to the Nitto ATP Finals.
Under the steady glow of indoor lights at the Almaty Open, Daniil Medvedev confronted Adam Walton in a rematch carrying the weight of an August upset in Cincinnati. The second seed, even at 1-1 in their ATP Head2Head, navigated the quicker hardcourt pace to secure a 7-5, 7-6(0) victory after one hour and 45 minutes of probing rallies. Trailing 1-4 in the second set, he dug deep to save four break points in the sixth game, his adjustments in depth turning defensive stands into offensive surges that forced errors from the Australian’s powerful inside-out forehands.
Medvedev’s focus sharpened amid the pressure, his backhand down-the-line slicing through Walton’s positioning as the crowd’s murmurs built with each extended exchange. He struck 12 winners in the second set, breaking back to level and dominating the tiebreak with a one–two rhythm of crosscourt forehand into heavy topspin returns. This win, following semifinals in Shanghai and Beijing, marks his eighth victory in the past 10 matches, a timely boost as he chases his first title since 2023.
“It was a very tough match. The game at 1-4, I think I saved four or five break points. It was crucial because then I managed to break back and get back into my rhythm, so I am pleased to have defeated a tough opponent,” said Medvedev, who is level at 1-1 in his ATP Head2Head series with Walton.
Deficit exposes mental edge
The indoor hard surface amplified the tension early in the second set, where Walton’s aggressive flat shots pinned Medvedev deep, echoing the positioning flaws from their Cincinnati clash. Down 1-4, the Russian mixed underspin slices with high-kicking serves to fend off those break points, his footwork adapting to the reduced bounce that favored counterpunchers like him. That hold ignited a shift, as deeper baseline balls disrupted Walton’s rhythm, turning the Australian’s power into mounting unforced errors amid the arena’s hushed anticipation.
Crowd energy swelled as Medvedev clawed level, his resolve tested not just by the score but by the season’s broader stakes—a year without silverware pressing on every point. This wasn’t raw survival; it was a tactical recalibration, his crosscourt patterns probing weaknesses and reminding him of the form that had carried him through recent deep runs in Asia. Walton, unable to capitalize on the momentum, saw his inside-in attempts falter against the renewed depth, setting the stage for a tiebreak takeover.
Race heats up toward Turin
At 29, Medvedev climbs one spot to 14th in the PIF ATP Live Race to Turin, trailing eighth-placed Lorenzo Musetti by 1025 points for the final qualification berth to the Nitto ATP Finals. A seventh straight appearance hangs in the balance, with these consistent results on a surface that suits his style—quicker decisions and precise depth—offering a path to close the gap. Next, he faces Fabian Marozsan in the quarterfinals, a matchup where the Hungarian’s all-court variety could demand further adjustments from the Russian’s baseline dominance.
The Almaty Open‘s tempo, blending speed and control, underscores the psychological lift from this revenge, fading scars from earlier losses as momentum builds toward a breakthrough. Medvedev’s game now flows with purpose, his one–two combinations poised to exploit any hesitation in the quarters.
Quarterfinals highlight emerging threats
Elsewhere, Shintaro Mochizuki and Alex Michelsen advanced to set a compelling quarterfinal clash, injecting youth into the draw’s unpredictable pulse. The 22-year-old Japanese star dismantled fourth-seeded Luciano Darderi 6-3, 6-3 in 65 minutes, his relentless crosscourt drives owning the baseline on the indoor hard and marking his first tour-level quarterfinal this season. Rising 10 spots to No. 92 in the live rankings, Mochizuki stands ready to crack the top 100 on Monday, building on his 2023 Tokyo semifinals with precise depth that neutralized the Italian’s power.
Michelsen, arriving on a five-match losing streak, has flipped the script in Kazakhstan, downing Beibit Zhukayev in the opener before routing Aleksandar Vukic 6-3, 6-2. The American’s sharpened serves and inside-in forehands exploited the surface’s speed, redirecting points with quick decisions that signal a turnaround at this ATP 250. As Medvedev eyes Turin, these battles highlight how pressure forges breakthroughs, with hardcourt edges deciding who surges forward in the title hunt.
