Davidovich knocks Medvedev’s door down in Montreal | ATP Tour

Montreal

Davidovich kicks Medvedev’s door in Montreal

The Spaniard signs his first victory against the world No. 5

August 08, 2024

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina is roaring back into the circuit. The Spaniard recorded his first Top 5 victory of the season on Friday at the Omnium Banque Nationale presented by Rogers, where he hopes to regain the level that has made him a contender at increasingly major tournaments on the calendar. The ATP Masters 1000 in Canada, where he reached the semi-finals last year, seems the ideal stage to achieve this.

The Spaniard recorded his biggest win of 2024 on Thursday, beating world No. 5 Daniil Medvedev 6-4, 1-6, 6-2 to reach the third round of the tournament. Davidovich handled his emotions in a match of alternating dominance, knowing how to suffer until he found the way to victory against a former champion of the tournament. The Spaniard recovered to contain his rival’s reaction and complete his triumph in one hour and 56 minutes of play.

Davidovich managed to break down a personal barrier in Montreal. The Spaniard recorded his first victory against Medvedev, who came into the match with a 4-0 lead in the Lexus ATP Head2Head record between the two. After the defeats suffered in Madrid, Rotterdam, Indian Wells and Dubai, the Andalusian managed to overcome one of the toughest rivals he has encountered on the ATP Tour.

This morale boost will allow him to reach the third round in Montreal, where big names are lurking in his path. The Spaniard will now face Italian Matteo Arnaldi, who beat Karen Khachanov 7-5, 7-5. It will be the first meeting between the two.

Davidovich is trying to lay the foundations for a strong second half of the season. After giving up Wimbledon and the Olympics to treat a lumbago, an ailment that has kept him out of competition for the last month, the Spaniard has found solidity on the North American tour. After adding victories in Washington, Toronto and Montreal, the path is starting to straighten out for one of the most charismatic profiles on the circuit.