Medvedev says 'shoo' to déjà vu in Shanghai R4 win vs. Tien

Shanghai

Medvedev says ‘shoo’ to déjà vu in Shanghai R4 win vs. Tien

Former World No. 1 wards off cramps, earns first win in three makes an attempt towards lefty

October 08, 2025

Daniil Medvedev dug deep to keep away from a repeat disappointment towards Learner Tien on the laborious courts of China with a dramatic Wednesday-night win on the Rolex Shanghai Masters.

The 29-year-old recovered from a bout of cramp late within the second set to beat #NextGenATP American Tien 7-6(6), 6-7(1), 6-4 in an engrossing encounter on the ATP Masters 1000 occasion. Simply eight days after Medvedev was pressured to retire from the deciding set of the pair’s semi-final in Beijing resulting from cramp, the previous No. 1 within the PIF ATP Rankings was this time capable of push back his bodily struggles and rouse a late cost to victory.

Meddy’s Second! 👏@DaniilMedwed outlasts Tien (7-6 6-7 6-4) in an EPIC encounter to advance into the Shanghai quarter-finals@SH_RolexMasters | #RolexShanghaiMasterspic.twitter.com/Ah3jbLrNUs

— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 8, 2025

“I feel the hardest half was that we performed two occasions [before], and for my part he’s an unbelievable participant, as a result of he doesn’t have an ideal serve and serve is so vital in tennis,” stated Medvedev. “With out the serve, he’s 19 years outdated and 30-something on the earth and solely going up. In my view he’s such an excellent tennis participant.

“He feels the sport so properly. There are such a lot of guys proper now that simply hit sturdy with each ball they’ve, and so they have an incredible serve which permits them to remain within the tennis match. He doesn’t have it, and he manages to play so good with out it. For me to beat him… I assumed I used to be going to lose. I used to be cramping once more and I’m simply tremendous completely satisfied to handle to do it.”

In a topsy-turvy two-hour, 53-minute encounter, Medvedev didn’t serve out the primary set at 5-4 earlier than prevailing in a tie-break, after which carved out a 3-0 lead within the second. But Tien roared again and gained the second set in a tie-break throughout which Medvedev was almost fully immobilised because of the cramps in his proper leg.

The 2019 Shanghai champion Medvedev appeared out of rivalry at that time, however his physique loosened after the changeover between units and he produced some usually sturdy tennis into the decider. Regardless of frequently chuntering to himself in a pissed off style all through, Medvedev decisively broke serve within the ninth recreation earlier than serving out to earn his first victory in three Lexus ATP Head2Head conferences with the 19-year-old Tien.

All three of Medvedev and Tien’s conferences have confirmed dramatic. On the Australian Open, Tien prevailed in a five-set thriller that ended simply earlier than 3 a.m. native time, whereas the pair’s Beijing and Shanghai clashes have been dominated by Medvedev’s battles together with his physique.

Now into his third Masters 1000 quarter-final of the season (Indian Wells, Madrid), Medvedev will subsequent face seventh seed Alex de Minaur, who earlier defeated Nuno Borges 7-5, 6-2 to e-book his spot within the final eight.