“The main contender in Australia is still not Daniil Medvedev” – Kommersant FM

Fewer and fewer Russians remain at the Australian Open. The second round of the tennis tournament started, and after the first stage, seven Russian representatives sheathed their rackets. Five are in women’s singles, and two are in men’s singles. In 2024, the Australian Open prize fund is $658 million. The chances of Russian tennis players on the courts of Melbourne were assessed by Kommersant FM sports commentator Vladimir Osipov.

Already in the first round, many of our athletes dropped out in both men’s and women’s singles, but the main Russian contender for victory – the first racket of our country and the third racket of the world Daniil Medvedev – fortunately, is in the ranks.

Not without difficulty, but he passed the first round and on January 18 he plays with the Finn Emil Ruusuvuori. Tennis columnist for Kommersant Publishing House Evgeny Fedyakov believes that this match will answer many questions about Medvedev’s prospects at the tournament in Melbourne:

“Emil Ruusuvuori has just played the final in Hong Kong and is in good form. This is an experienced tournament fighter.

Playing with him could be a real test for Medvedev. If he easily passes Ruusuvuori, then I think we can count on Daniil’s good results in the future.”

But let’s face it, the main contender in Australia is not Medvedev. Everyone is watching the world number one, the incredible Novak Djokovic, who at 36 years old blows everyone away. And he even states that he will play at this level until he is 40 years old, and so far he has no problems. Although, to be honest, the eminent veteran’s opponents are very serious.

For example, Carlos Alcaraz, who is 20 years old and was already the first racket of the world, is now in second place, and this young Spaniard beat Djokovic. And he dealt with the experienced Richard Gasquet in the first round of the Australian Open in three sets. So Djokovic, of course, is the favorite, but it’s not worth saying that he will definitely win in Melbourne, says Honored Coach of Russia Boris Sobkin:

“Before, when Rafael Nadal played Novak Djokovic, everything was easier to predict. Now the situation is different, there are a number of tennis players who can really claim victory. “In fact, the situation in men’s tennis is now largely moving into a stage of turbulence.”

As for the women’s singles, unfortunately, among the Russians there is not a single contender for victory in the tournament. Moreover, one of the best Russian tennis players, Veronika Kudermetova, was unable to overcome the first round. Fortunately, the first racket of Russia Daria Kasatkina continues the game. She is currently ranked 13th in the world rankings. In the second round, Kasatkina will play against American Sloane Sitvens. But you shouldn’t expect big achievements from Kasatkina in Australia, Evgeny Fedyakov is sure:

“Daria Kasatkina held a successful tournament for herself in Adelaide. But we must keep in mind that she reached the final after her two opponents simply could not take the court. In the final against Elena Ostapenko, Daria did not look her best.

Very often, after such relatively successful tournaments before the Grand Slam Championship, Kasatkina plays unsuccessfully at the majors. The women have four favorites. These are Iga Shwiatek, Arina Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina, Corey Gauff. But for some reason I have the feeling that Swiatek is now the favorite.”

Unfortunately, watching Australian Open matches is not always convenient due to the serious time difference between Melbourne and Moscow – eight hours. Therefore, the first games of the tournament take place when it is deep night in the capital, and Australian prime time falls at the height of the working day.

Fortunately, this is the only problem. The Eurosport TV channel still shows the Australian Open in full, with Russian-language commentators. And it won’t be difficult to find a broadcast on the Internet if you want.

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