Daniil Medvedev, the former champion, navigated a challenging match against Fabian Marozsan to secure his spot in the US Open’s third round. Despite a performance that was far from his best, Medvedev ultimately triumphed 6-3, 6-2, 7-6(5). The match was marked by a flurry of breaks of serve in the first set, with both players struggling to maintain their serve. Medvedev’s serve, typically a weapon, was uncharacteristically tentative, resulting in four double faults.
However, Medvedev found his footing in the second set, benefiting from Marozsan’s 45 unforced errors and a string of ill-timed drop shots. The Hungarian player seemed to be struggling to find his rhythm as Medvedev grew more comfortable on the court.
The third set proved to be a tense battle, with the crowd at Louis Armstrong Stadium rallying behind Marozsan as he began to play more aggressively. Medvedev, who has had a complex relationship with the US Open crowd in the past, was visibly frustrated by the noise level and the audience’s support for his opponent.
“The match today, I felt like I was at an Italian restaurant … it was so noisy,” Medvedev remarked during his on-court interview. “Unless Roger (Federer) or the home favorite is playing, whoever is losing gets a little more support and he started playing really well in the third set so the crowd went behind him. “So every time I would win some important point I was like come on, give me a little bit. It was really fun.”
Medvedev’s past interactions with US Open crowds have been memorable. Five years ago, he sarcastically thanked the booing crowd for his third-round victory. He subsequently earned their favor with a gutsy performance in the final, which he ultimately lost to Rafa Nadal. Medvedev’s sole Grand Slam title came at the 2021 US Open.
Despite reaching the finals of the Australian Open and Indian Wells earlier this year, Medvedev’s recent performances had raised doubts about his form coming into the US Open. He suffered first-round exits in his tune-up events in Canada and Cincinnati. However, he has now proven his resilience, overcoming both his opponent and the noisy crowd to advance to the next stage of the tournament.
Medvedev’s next opponent will be Italian 31st seed Flavio Cobolli, who he will face in the third round on Saturday. The match promises to be another test for Medvedev as he seeks to continue his journey towards another US Open title.
