'One player is going to die...': Daniil Medvedev unleashes US Open fury after Rublev battle in brutal heat
Daniil Medvedev defeated Andrey Rublev in straight sets in the US Open quarter-finals.
Daniil Medvedev did get the better of Andrey Rublev in the US Open quarter-finals but the 2021 US Open winner confessed that someone may “die” due to the sweltering conditions in the competition. With temperatures reportedly hovering around 33 degrees throughout the fixture, along with high humidity, the conditions seemed to be quite dreadful for the players at the Flushing Meadows. According to CNN, midway through the third set, Medvedev was heard saying to the camera, “One player is going to die and you are going to see.” Overcoming all odds, Medvedev ultimately succeeded in eliminating his fellow countryman in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4.
"It was brutal. The only good thing I see in these conditions is both suffer, so it is tough for both of us. There were some ups and downs but that is so normal. At the end of the first set, I kind of could not see the ball anymore! I played with sensations and tried to go for it, tried to run and tried to catch the balls. He did the same sometimes,” Medvedev said.
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Daniil Medvedev had to take two medical breaks during his encounter against Andrey Rublev. Medvedev even had to use inhalers during both breaks. Temperatures reached as far as 93 degrees Fahrenheit during the clash between the two Russians, as per CNN’s weather team.
Medvedev’s win against Rublev guided him to reaching the US Open semi-finals for the fourth time. In his next encounter, he will be up against current world number one and defending champion Carlos Alcaraz.
Medvedev was, however, not the only tennis player who had to face the brunt of extreme weather conditions at the Flushing Meadows. American tennis player Frances Tiafoe also faced difficulties during his US Open quarterfinal match against his compatriot Ben Shelton. “It was super hot tonight. Really muggy. Super humid. Was sweating a lot,” Tiafoe was quoted as saying by news agency AP.
With the humidity reportedly reaching the 70 per cent-mark, the situation was indeed gruelling during the quarterfinal fixture between the two Americans. Tiafoe had to concede a 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (7), 6-2 defeat at the hands of Shelton. With this win, 20-year-old Shelton became the youngest-ever American tennis player to qualify for the US Open semi-finals since Michael Chang in 1992.
In the semi-finals, Ben Shelton will be up against 23-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic. The Serbian great earned a comfortable 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 victory against ninth-seeded American tennis player Taylor Fritz to reach a record 47th Grand Slam semifinal.