Australian wildcard Adam Walton has secured the most significant victory of his tennis career by defeating world No.8 Daniil Medvedev in the first round of the French Open. The Queenslander battled back from a 2-4 deficit in the final set to overcome an out-of-sorts Medvedev, who suffered his seventh first-round exit at Roland Garros.
Medvedev's Struggles on Court Suzanne Lenglen
Medvedev's disappointing afternoon on Court Suzanne Lenglen was compounded by a tense exchange with his wife, Daria. The scorching Paris conditions caused the 2021 US Open champion to lose his composure, prompting Daria to intervene. 'It's hot for everyone. We're all suffering from it. You have to behave,' she said. Medvedev retorted, 'When I start putting the ball in, I'll start behaving.'
Walton's Comeback Victory
World No.97 Walton rallied from 2-4 down in the fifth set after Medvedev appeared poised to close out the match. Ultimately, Walton triumphed 6-2, 1-6, 6-1, 1-6, 6-4, marking his first top-10 win at any Grand Slam. 'It's huge,' Walton said post-match. 'That win in Cincinnati definitely gave me belief. I hung tough, I believed and I'm really excited.'
This victory is Walton's second career win over Medvedev, having previously beaten him at the Cincinnati Masters 1000 last year. Meanwhile, fellow Australian Kimberly Birrell also caused an upset, defeating No.5 seed Jessica Pegula in three sets.
