Russia’s Daniil Medvedev was forced to play through the pain in the fourth round of the Miami Open, defying crippling leg cramps to defeat Australian Alexei Popyrin 7-6, 6-7, 6-4.
The world number two needed more than two-and-a-half hours to beat his tenacious rival, who saved several match points to extend the game into a third set where Medvedev started to experience serious leg problems.
The of 2021 Australian Open runner-up fought off severe cramp to convert a sole break point in the set and book a spot in the next round.
The 25-year-old could have sealed the win in the second set when he had three match-points, but squandered the lead allowing his less decorated rival to take the set at the tie-break.
“It’s probably one of the sweetest victories in my career, because I was cramping like hell in the third set,” Medvedev said in an on-court interview.
“It’s one thing when you’re cramping when you’re [ahead in the score], but I started cramping before. It was tough to think about the win in these conditions.”
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He will next face unseeded American Frances Tiafoe, who sent home 16th-seeded Dusan Lajovic of Serbia in his respective match.