By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
Daniil Medvedev is already out of the French Open.
One of the favorites to win this year’s Roland Garros Grand Slam championship title was just kicked out of the tournament after suffering a first-round loss against world no. 172-ranked Thiago Seyboth Wild of Brazil- 7.6, 6.7, 2.6, 6.3, 6.4- last May 30, 2023.
After a drama-filled Day 2 and a series of stunning losses on Day 1, Medvedev’s surprising defeat against the lower-ranked Brazilian may just make the headlines entering the Round of 32.
Despite coming back from a first-set loss to take sets two and three for a 2-1 lead, Medvedev’s momentum suddenly halted when Wild was able to counter his power with consistency and hard work.
Medvedev was looking for an early knockout blow in the fourth set in an attempt to close the show but Wild showed an out-of-this-world focus that forced the no.2 ranked male tennis player to several unforced errors.
With Medvedev aiming for several down-the-line baseline power shots, Wild was patient enough to defend his baseline and frustrated the Russian star.
Wild then found the perfect timing midway through the fourth set when he unleashed his offense that caught Medvedev off guard.
Despite trailing in the service aces department, Wild made up for his lack of service power with great defense both in the baseline and the net area.
Medvedev tried to play at Wild’s pace in the fifth and last set when he engaged in several long rallies but the Brazilian newcomer just knew when to throw his powerful groundstrokes.
This might be Wild’s biggest professional tennis win since elevating his rank in the ATP and will next face Guido Pella in the second round of the French Open.
