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Wimbledon: Hubert Hurkcaz pulls off major upset, knocks out second seed Daniil Medvedev
Second-seed Daniil Medvedev has been knocked out after losing to Hubert Hurkacz 6-2,6-7,6-3,3-6,3-6. The two players had resumed battled on day eight after their match was suspended due to rain late on day 7.
Second-seed Daniil Medvedev was knocked out of Wimbledon after losing his fourth-round match to Hubert Hurkacz 6-2,6-7,6-3,3-6,3-6. The two players had resumed battled on day eight after their match was suspended due to rain late on day 7.
The versatile Hurkacz won 50 points at the net, including 10 when playing serve and volley. He became a first-time Grand Slam quarterfinalist, and his opponent Wednesday will be his idol, Roger Federer.
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With this win, he became only the fourth Polish men's singles player to reach the last 8 at the All England Club. Before him, only Jerzy Janowicz (semifinals) and Lukasz Kubot (quarterfinals) in 2013 and Wojtek Fibak (quarterfinals in 1980) had made the cut.
Hurkacz entered the match as the only player in the field who had not lost a set. Even more impressively, he had not lost a service game. But Medvedev broke his serve twice in the opening set on No. 2 Court to seize control of the match on Monday. The No. 2 seed started the day favourite to finish things off after rain late on Monday meant the contest was switched from No.2 Court to Centre Court overnight.
The Russian led by two sets to one and began the day serving at 3-4, but a double fault on a breakpoint in the opening game of the day helped Hurkacz force a decider. The 6ft 5in player struck early in the fifth, breaking to love thanks to a crunching backhand return in the third game. And he looked calm and composed throughout the closing stages as he completed one of the biggest wins of his career.
With this defeat, Medvedev lost the chance to become the fifth Russian after Yevgeny Kafelnikov, Alex Metreveli, Marat Safin and Mikhail Youzhny to reach the last eight at all four majors. Notably, the No.14 seed Hurkacz is competing in the second week of a Grand Slam for the first time. However, he has played big matches this year, especially in Miami, where he won his first ATP Masters 1000 title.
(With inputs from ANI)
