Daniil Medvedev surges into Australian Open semifinals, defeats Hubert Hurkacz in five sets

Daniil Medvedev kept the good vibes going at the Happy Slam to reach his third Australian Open semifinal, edging past Hubert Hurkacz for his 75th Grand Slam match win, 7-6 (4), 2-6, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4.

A former world No. 1, Medvedev had lost his last two matches to the No. 9 seed, and shook off a second set blip to score his first win over Hurkacz since 2021 and reach his third straight major semifinal in five thrilling sets after three hours and 59 minutes on Rod Laver Arena.

Medvedev has made good on his New Year’s Resolution to show a more positive persona on court in 2024, endearing the Aussie crowd with a series of charming on-court interviews in between forging a relatively uncomplicated road to the last eight.

After nearly exiting the tournament in a late-night five-setter against Emil Ruusuvuori, Medvedev showed marked improvement in his subsequent two matches, blitzing No. 27 seed Félix Auger-Aliassime and navigating four sets with Portuguese trailblazer Nuno Borges to reach his first quarterfinal in Melbourne since 2022.

Standing between him and the semis was his Polish rival, who lead their head-to-head 3-2 and won both of their 2022 encounters, including one on hard courts in Miami. Back at his career-high ranking of No. 9, Hurkacz enjoyed a solid start to the season with a runner-up finish at United Cup alongside countrywoman Iga Swiatek and eased through his Melbourne draw after a second-round thriller of his own against qualifier Jakub Mensík.

After knocking out French wild card Arthur Cazaux to reach his first Grand Slam quarterfinal since the 2021 Wimbledon Championships—where he defeated Medvedev in five sets—Hurkacz looked eager for another déjà vu after an early exchange of breaks to start the match.

As notorious as the 6’5” Hurkacz is on serve—striking 71 aces through his first four matches—Medvedev is equally formidable on return, and stayed positive despite losing his 3-1 lead to play stellar tennis in the tiebreaker, setting up set point with a forehand winner.

Though Hurkacz was behind, he began the second set with a break of his own, and soon led Medvedev 5-2 before leveling the match behind a barrage of winners.

Undaunted, Medvedev continued the pattern of early breaks with a 3-0 advantage in the third, one he rode to a two-sets-to-one lead despite failing to convert three set points on Hurkacz’s serve.

The fourth set mirrored the third and Medvedev was quickly on course for a decisive victory when he put himself within two games of the win. But Hurkacz had one last card to play, and some strong ballstriking from the back of the court helped him reel off four of the next five games to crack the match wide open.

Looking fatigued as the decider got underway, Medvedev stayed within himself and capitalized on his opening when it arrived, outrallying Hurkacz to nab the first break. Ducking to save break point in the following game, the No. 3 seed consolidated and soon found himself at match point.

Hurkacz could save one but found himself outfoxed on the second, Medvedev landing a drop shot that caused him to blow kisses to the crowd and book a semifinal clash with either Carlos Alcaraz or Alexander Zverev. If Alcaraz wins, it would be a rematch of their 2023 US Open semifinal, which Medvedev won in one of the best performances of the season.