DUBAI: Top-seeded Daniil Medvedev didn’t have time to think about how to return Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard’s blazing serves Wednesday at the Dubai Championships on Wednesday.
Medvedev, ranked No. 6, still reached the quarterfinals after a 6-4, 6-4 victory over the 21-year-old Frenchman.
The Russian player was asked about facing serves exceeding 230 kph (143 mph).
“You don’t have any time so it’s pure reflexes and sometimes it makes life even easier because as I say, you don’t think much,” Medvedev said in his on-court interview. “If you don’t return it, you’re not even disappointed. There were some second serves that I missed, and I was disappointed. You just try to do your best, and I managed pretty well today.”
Medvedev, the Dubai champion in 2023, broke Mpetshi Perricard’s serve once in each set. The Frenchman committed twice as many unforced errors — 44 — as winners and didn’t create any break point opportunities.
Up next for Medvedev is Tallon Griekspoor, who advanced by beating defending champion Ugo Humbert 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.
Marin Cilic, the 2014 US Open champion who eliminated second-seeded Alex de Minaur in the first round, moved into the quarterfinals by beating Alexei Popyrin 5-7, 6-3, 6-4. The 36-year-old Croat will face Felix Auger-Aliassime for a spot in the last four.
Daniil Medvedev reaches Dubai quarterfinals, Marin Cilic also advances
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Daniil Medvedev reaches Dubai quarterfinals, Marin Cilic also advances
- Medvedev, ranked No. 6, still reached the quarterfinals after a 6-4, 6-4 victory over the 21-year-old Frenchman
- The Russian player was asked about facing serves exceeding 230 kph
Real Madrid handed shock home loss as Celta Vigo spring surprise
- Celta jumped from 14th to 10th while the defeat ended Real’s 100 percent home league record this season after six successive wins
MADRID: Real Madrid suffered a shock 2-0 loss and finished with nine men against Celta Vigo in LaLiga on Sunday after Williot Swedberg scored an audacious goal with his heel and a second in stoppage time to leave the hosts four points off leaders Barcelona.
Swedish substitute Swedberg cleverly diverted a cross from Bryan Zaragoza past Thibaut Courtois in the 53rd minute to put Celta ahead and had an easy finish three minutes into added time, going around the goalkeeper to wrap up the points.
Real’s cause was not helped by the 64th minute dismissal of Fran Garcia, who picked up two yellow cards in 60 seconds, but they laid siege to the visitors’ goal for the last 20 minutes as Celta went into a defensive shell to hold onto their advantage.
Real defender Alvaro Carreras was also dismissed for two cautions, his second coming in stoppage time at the end of the game as the home side’s frustrations boiled over.
It was a second clean sheet in 15 league games this season for Celta, whose keeper Ionut Radu made a first-half save from Jude Bellingham’s header and stopped a second-half free-kick whipped in by Kylian Mbappe.
Real stay on 36 points from 16 games as Celta celebrated a first win at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu in 19 years, leaving the Galician club with 19 points.
“With the team they have and their quality, it’s difficult to match them, but we read the game well,” said Celta striker Borja Iglesias. “We had possession, we played in their half, we played a fantastic match.”
Celta jumped from 14th to 10th while the defeat ended Real’s 100 percent home league record this season after six successive wins.
Xabi Alonso’s stuttering Real team have now won only one of their last five league games as they await the midweek arrival of Manchester City in the Champions League.
Earlier on Sunday, Espanyol moved up to fifth as Roberto Fernandez’s first half penalty handed them a 1-0 home win over Rayo Vallecano as both sides finished with 10 men.
Elche’s Rafa Mir scored twice as they ran out 3-0 home winners over struggling Girona, while hosts Valencia and Sevilla remained in the bottom half of the table after a 1-1 draw.
