Match Report
Rehetzka Surprises Medvedev in Cincinnati
The Czech Republic faces Tiafoe, who defeated Musetti.
August 15, 2024
Mike Lawrence/ATP Tour
Jiri Rehechka defeated Daniil Medvedev in straight sets in Cincinnati on Wednesday evening.
Written by ATP staff
Jiri Rehetzka pulled off a stunning upset win over former world number one Daniil Medvedev in the second round of the Cincinnati Open on Wednesday evening.
Medvedev, the 2019 champion, arrived in Ohio looking to get back in shape and compete after his opening-round exit in Montreal. Instead, Rehetzka, who had not competed since Madrid due to a back injury, won 7-6(2), 6-4.
“Honestly, it’s amazing to be back,” Reheka said in an on-court interview. “It’s been a while since I played on a big stage, so I enjoyed every moment of today. To get another win against a great player like Dani, a talented player, is just a bonus for me.”
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The 2022 Next Gen ATP Finals runner-up, presented by PIF, had not touched a tennis racket for more than two months. On July 7, he returned to the court. And just over a month later, he had one of the best wins of his career.
Medvedev, who lost to Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in Montreal, made just 44% of his first serves, according to Infosys ATP statistics, and had seven double faults, including a crucial one when he faced a break point at 3-3 in the second set. The crowd was silent when he missed his second serve.
Reheka played fearless tennis, hitting 17 forehand winners to make the most of her opportunities. Adelaide’s reigning champion had a fitting message for the cameras after the match: “I’m back!”
Currently 5-14 against top-10 opponents, Lehecka will next face home favourite Frances Tiafoe, who is coming off a 6-3, 6-2 win over Italian 14th seed Lorenzo Musetti, who is in fine form.
“I served really well today. I was an attacker and I played pretty deep, really deep,” Tiafoe said in an on-court interview. “But the important thing was that I tried to beat him early. He plays on a lot of different surfaces and he’s been playing a lot of tennis lately. I know he’s going to try to do his best at the US Open, but I thought I had to come out really hot and play as fast as I could. I think I came out a lot today and really disrupted him.”
Tiafoe faced a tough challenge against the Paris Olympic bronze medallist and he rose to the occasion. The world number 27 did not face a break point to advance to the next round in 68 minutes.
“I know he just came from the Olympics. He needs those kind of matchups,” Tiafoe said. “I’ve been on hard courts since Atlanta, and I’ve gotten better every week. I thought today was the biggest change.”
