Pushed to the 5th set by the 418th in the world, Daniil Medvedev qualifies for the 2nd round of the Australian Open

The question was whether Samrej would be able to maintain his level over a period of time that was unknown to him (he was playing his first match on the circuit beyond three sets) and whether Medvedev would manage to wake up. The answers were no and yes respectively. In the fourth set, Samrej showed his current physical limits and had to have his left thigh massaged to keep the cramps away. Medvedev reassured himself by adopting his usual tactics, far behind his line to make his opponent play as much as possible. So many elements which meant that he was able to finish the match with complete peace of mind (6-2, 4-6, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2).