Medvedev overcomes Halys scare to match record start from career-best 2021 season
Medvedev advances to his first Grand Slam round of 32 since the 2024 US Open, ans manages his best start of the season since 2021. He’s defeated Quentin Halys 6-7(9), 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.
Daniil Medvedev, Australian Open 2026 | © Zuma / PsNewz
Daniil Medvedev moved into the third round of the Australian Open with a hard-fought 6-7(9), 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 victory over France’s Quentin Halys on Wednesday. The win marks Medvedev’s seventh consecutive victory to start the 2026 season, equaling his career-best start from 2021 – the standout year of his career that saw him reach the world No. 2 ranking and claim his maiden Grand Slam title at the US Open.
The match followed a pattern that has become curiously familiar for the world No. 11. Despite the straight-set scorelines in his recent title-winning run in Brisbane, Medvedev has struggled to maintain “clean” sheets in the opening rounds of Slams; this victory ensures he has still not gone through the first two rounds of a major without dropping a set since Wimbledon 2023. After losing a marathon 20-point tiebreak in the opening set, Medvedev regained his focus, breaking Halys early in the second and third to seize control.
MedveDEv : “Not five sets”
Signing the camera lens with a defiant “Not 5 sets,” Medvedev alluded to his penchant for marathon matches in Melbourne Park. The “Quarter-man” appears physically revitalized under his new coaching team of Thomas Johansson and Rohan Goetzke, showing the same baseline endurance that propelled him through his best-ever season on tour in 2021. That year, he not only reached the Australian Open final and won the US Open but also led Russia to titles at the ATP Cup and Davis Cup, finishing the season with a tour-leading 63 match wins.
“I’ll be honest, I was playing much better in Brisbane”, Medvedev said on court. “I still can’t get exactly used to the court here. I feel like I’m missing a little bit of power on my shots. But it’s good because while you continue winning usually during the tournament you find it step by step… but I’m definitely playing better, I’m feeling good.”
Medvedev now advances to his first Grand Slam round of 32 since the 2024 US Open, ending a frustrating drought at the majors. He will next face Hungary’s Fábián Marozsán, who advanced after a clinical win over Kamil Majchrzak.
This matchup presents a different challenge for Medvedev; while he defeated Marozsán in their most recent meeting in Almaty last October, the Hungarian is known for his “giant-killer” reputation on big stages. Medvedev will be looking to avoid the kind of upset that ended his 2025 campaign here, as he aims to reclaim his spot among the tournament favorites.
