Brazilian qualifier Wild topples Medvedev in first round

Up a set and two set points in the second tiebreaker against world No. 2 Daniil Medvedev, 172nd ranked Thiago Seyboth Wild got himself in an ideal position to put away a routine forehand off the return of serve. The fiery forehand had, up until then, fetched the Brazilian 34 winners but on that point, he fluffed it long. And on the next. Two points later with the set point now with Medvedev, Wild misdirected another simple putaway at the net.

Gifting away the second set and being blown away in the third, few would have expected the 23-year-old qualifier to rise again in the battle with a Grand Slam winner. He did so in some style, taking down Medvedev 7-6(5), 6-7(6), 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the first round of the French Open for the biggest win of his career at the Court Philippe-Chatrier.

Before Tuesday, Wild had neither won a Grand Slam main draw match nor moved past the first qualifying round of the previous French Open editions.

“I mean, I watched Daniil play my entire junior career, and I've always been dreaming of playing on this court, playing these kind of players,” Wild said on court after the win. “So, it's a dream come true.”

Medvedev, the 2021 US Open champion, had suffered four straight first-round exits at Roland Garros, although clay has been a lot sweeter this season for the Rome Masters champion. This was, however, less about the lanky Russian’s resurfacing demons on the dirt and more about the Brazilian’s ball-striking brilliance that left the defensively solid Medvedev bruised and battered.

Wild, largely plying on the Challenger circuit, entered this contest having won 21 of his last 24 matches and four clay-court career titles on the back of a strong record on the surface as a junior. After trading a couple of early breaks, Wild’s forehand really got down to work. Winners from that wing were aplenty (17 out of the total 19 in the first set), and especially menacing were those runaround forehands on the rise to the open Medvedev court. Outrallying and outsmarting Medvedev from the baseline, a backhand return winner attacking the second serve also displayed Wild's courage and confidence.

Into the opening eight games, Wild had won more points than his opponent as Medvedev served big on the key points to wriggle out of five further break points. Not in the tiebreaker though as Wild converted his third set point on serve.

After seeing off break points in the eighth game of the second set, a thunderous forehand by Wild that Medvedev could only get a touch on, set up two chances of his own the next game before Medvedev thwarted them. Wild was equally efficient with his drop shots to shake things up and ruffle Medvedev's deep court position. A neat drop shot winner (he had 20 overall) set up those two set points for Wild in the tiebreaker that came and went as the Brazilian looked skyward after squandering that set.

The after effects carried into the third as Medvedev seized on a poor first game from Wild in a set that, although had a couple more exchanges of breaks, the world No. 2 largely controlled.

For a man who had never played a fourth set in his professional career, Wild remarkably regained his level, composure and those forehand winners (he finished with 56 to Medvedev’s 39) thereon. He got the early break in the fourth set and held for a 3-0 lead with a clinical serve and volley.

Medvedev broke back to love but his below-par serving (he dished out 15 double faults) and foot movement continued to let him down as Wild regained the advantage in the sixth game. The mercurial Russian was now feeling the nerves, even shushing a section of the crowd during a chat with the umpire.

The deciding set saw five breaks from an inconsistent Wild and an increasingly agitated Medvedev in the first seven games. The Brazilian then finally held to love executing some fine drop shots and volleys, and, fittingly, sealed the match with a thunderous forehand winner.

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