Medvedev restores order to US Open night session

Fifth seed Daniil Medvedev restored order to the US Open evening session Saturday after the chaotic exits of former champions Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz the previous two nights.

The 28-year-old, who is now the only former champion remaining in the men’s field, denied a feisty challenge from young Italian Flavio Cobolli 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 in two hours, 18 minutes to set a fourth-round showdown with Portugal's Nuno Borges.

“I said it before the match that for me the upsets don’t really matter. The only thing [is when] the conditions are a bit tricky the favourites maybe have less margin than the other guys. Just have to be more cautious," said Medvedev, who improved to 38-13 on the season [21-6 on hard courts].

“If I play good tennis I can win the whole thing. If I don’t play good I can lose against anyone.”

The players captivated fans inside Arthur Ashe Stadium with a series of spellbinding rallies, with Cobolli frequently forcing Medvedev to defend like an octopus with his gangly arms at full stretch and his trademark defensive skills tested to the limit.

Medvedev's crisp deep-court returning kept Cobolli under pressure on serve throughout the match. The 2020 Nitto ATP Finals champion cultivated 20 break point chances, converting seven. While he dropped serve three times himself, Medvedev won a healthy 81 per cent of first serves and clipped 33 winners, including nine aces.

“It was a tough match. It was just a little bit up and down," Medvedev said. "And at one moment I started playing much better on my serve than on his.

“It was a tricky match. Very very humid, very hot out there. I think it makes the conditions a bit slower because I was watching other matches before mine... it was a fun match to play. Crowd was pretty full, I feel, for such a late time. And I was enjoying myself."

The former No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings remains on track for a blockbuster quarter-final showdown with current No. 1 Jannik Sinner, who plays American Tommy Paul in the last 16.

Flavio Cobolli on X Games mode here in the third set ? pic.twitter.com/4DnzxVSzB0

Should he win the title, Medvedev could climb to as high as No. 2 in the PIF ATP Rankings and to second place in the PIF ATP Race to Turin, as he seeks to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin from 10-17 November. 

Medvedev has enjoyed a strong Grand Slam run in 2024, reaching the Australian Open final and the Wimbledon semi-finals, but he is still seeking his first title since winning the ATP Masters 1000 title in Rome in May last year.

The 2021 champion and two-time finalist has now reached the second week at Flushing Meadows six straight years.