Barely started, the story of “friendship” between Daniil Medvedev and clay may already be coming to an end. Arrived at Roland-Garros impatient as ever, the Russian world number 2 left the Philippe-Chatrier court sadly on Tuesday, May 30, eliminated as soon as he entered the running by Thiago Seyboth Wild (172nd in the world), an amazing 23-year-old Brazilian, released qualifications (7-6, 6-7, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4).
In the wake of his title on May 21 at the Masters 1000 in Rome – his first on the surface – Medvedev approached, more relaxed than in previous years, the Parisian deadline where he never exceeded the quarter-finals (in 2021 ). “It’s the first time I’ve arrived here after winning matches the week before, I’m a little less stressed compared to clay,” assured the Russian the day before starting his Paris fortnight. In the Italian capital, Medvedev had impressed his clan like his peers, with victories in particular over the German Alexander Zverev and over two Top 10, the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas and the Dane Holger Rune in the final, two players specializing in the surface to which was allergic to him until then.
“Maybe it’s the start of a beautiful friendship with clay. No love huh, just friendship,” he nuanced then. A success that propelled him among the outsiders of the Parisian Grand Slam, behind the two big favorites, Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic.
A premonitory statement
“I have higher expectations than usual at Roland-Garros, but I also know that it can be a trap. You have to know how to capitalize on this confidence, but not be sure of yourself because that is where the danger lies. Sometimes you’re like, ‘Oh, I played so well, this is going to be easy. Then, in the first round, we have problems ”, had prophesied Medvedev, Friday, May 26, during his pre-tournament press conference.
On Tuesday, in a center court swept by gusts of wind, the Russian player seemed to reconnect with his demons on the ocher dust, he who has long described himself as a “cow on the ice”. Borrowed in his travels, the tall staker (1.98m) produced a painless game for his opponent, his big untied strikes perfectly neutralized by a Brazilian with a look as daring as his tennis.
From the start of the match, the public at the Philippe-Chatrier court took up the cause of this mustachioed tattooed man who looked like Freddy Mercury. Faced with the sonorous “Thia-go” descending from the stands, the timid “davaï Daniil” (“come on Daniil!”) were no match for it. Not impressed by his baptism on center court, the Brazilian redoubled his aggressiveness in his shots, making Medvedev admire his forehand shift.
For two sets, the youngest took the Russian surveyor at his own game, showing him around the four corners of the field. Seyboth Wild even had the opportunity to lead two sets to zero, before sinning by greed and haste on three balls in a row. Caught up by cramps, he let the world number 2 take control of the match in the next two sets. Annoyed by the public whistling at him as he asks the referee to go down to check a mark, the French-speaking Russian asked the haters to be quiet.
Before Seyboth Wild sticks to the plume. This Harry Potter fan – to the point of having had Hermione’s eyes, the Forbidden Forest or even Hedwig’s head tattooed on his body – pulled out of his magic boot an anthology of amortizations, which he control as much as the volley. Pushed into the fifth set, Medvedev is regularly taken on the wrong foot by this opponent who is playing the main draw of a Grand Slam for the first time after nine attempts. After four and fifteen hours of play, Thiago Seyboth Wild did not shake when concluding with a final forehand along the line, his 69th winning shot of the game.
“I just had to believe in myself”
Winner of the 2018 US Open juniors, this right-hander – who has the autobiography of Rafael Nadal as his bedside book – won his first title on the main circuit in early 2020, beating Casper Ruud (unlucky 2022 Roland-Garros finalist against to Nadal) in the final in Santiago (Chile). He then became the first player born in the 2000s to lift an ATP trophy. Since then, he had failed to confirm, falling to 418th place in early 2023.
At no charge, the native of Marechal Candido Rondon won the battle. ” It’s the most beautiful day of my life. I was aware it was going to be a tough game, but I knew what tactics to use against [Medvedev], I saw him play a thousand times. I just had to believe in myself, “he reacted, more intimidated when speaking to journalists than on the court, then frankly uncomfortable when asked about acts of domestic violence of which he was accused by a former companion in 2021.
On the field, the winner of the day promises him a bright future: “If he continues to play like this, he will finish the season in the Top 30, he will earn more money, the sponsors will come in, assured Daniil Medvedev. But for that, he has to play at this level in world tournaments, and that doesn’t come down to a single feat on the Philippe-Chatrier court. »
Despite this defeat, the Russian is not defeated. “Physically, I didn’t feel so bad. Of course I’m disappointed, but I don’t think I played badly. Next year, I may be even more motivated to win another title on gravel. This will be an opportunity for him to celebrate his victory with a little dance, his new ritual which he initiated in Rome. Random samba?
