Daniil Medvedev declared himself “destroyed” after his five-set Australian Open quarter-final against Hubert Hurkacz.
The Russian has had to endure both 4am finishes and matches in the hottest part of the day, but edged this, the 100th Grand Slam match of his career, for a 7-6, 2-6, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 win in searing heat.
It took just a minute shy of four hours for the 2021 US Open champion, also a runner-up in Melbourne that year, to reach the sixth Grand Slam semi-final of his career.
“I’m so destroyed right now,” he said. “It was very tough physically at the end of the second set. He played good. I just had to try and do whatever I could. If I lose, I go home, it’s okay, but I’m happy I won.”
Medvedev had looked set to wrap up the match when a break up in the fourth set, but Poland’s Hurkacz twice broke serve to force a deciding set in which the Russian was marginally the better player.
Meanwhile, Dayana Yastremska remains on course to emulate the feat of Emma Raducanu to come through qualifying to win a Grand Slam.
The Ukrainian dominated her quarter-final against Linda Noskova, winning 6-3, 6-4, and afterwards paid tribute to her people.
“I’m very proud of them,” she said. “They deserve huge respect.”
