Russian Surrender: Medvedev loses tamely to Cilic in French Open

PARIS: Croatian Marin Cilic did not put a foot wrong as he crushed Russia’s world number two Daniil Medvedev 6-2 6-3 6-2 in a lopsided contest on Monday to return to the French Open quarter-finals after a gap of four years.

The 2014 US Open champion, seeded 20th, dominated proceedings from the start and finished off the contest in an hour and 45 minutes to reach the last eight stage on the Parisian clay for the third time in his career.

Medvedev came into the match having won all three previous meetings against the 33-year-old Croatian but cut a sorry figure under the lights on Court Philippe Chatrier in their first contest on clay.

“It was absolutely a fantastic match from the first point to the last,” Cilic said in his interview on court.

“I enjoyed the atmosphere, enjoyed the night session here, played incredible tennis, one of the best matches of my career from start to finish.”

Such was the Croatian’s domination that he did not face a break point and will next meet another Russian in seventh seed Andrey Rublev for a place in the semi-finals. Unable to find a solution to Cilic’s pinpoint winners, Medvedev kept shaking his head and also poured out his frustration at the chair umpire over what he felt was very little time to rest during changeovers.

Cilic won four consecutive games from 2-2 to bag the opening set in 31 minutes and another break in the sixth game was enough for him to take the second set.

Australian Open finalist Medvedev, who won the 2021 US Open, then took a lengthy toilet break but served a double fault on his first point after returning to court.

Another double fault in that opening game led to Medvedev getting broken.

There was no way back for Medvedev, who briefly rose to world number one earlier this year, and Cilic converted his second match point when the Russian found the net with a backhand return.

Teen Gauff enters last four

American teenager Coco Gauff reached the semi-final by beating compatriot Sloane Stephens 7-5 6-2.

It will be a first last-four appearance at a Grand Slam for the 18-year-old. Gauff won the French Open junior title in 2018 - the same year Stephens finished runner-up to Simona Halep in the women’s singles final.

She broke Stephens, 29, at the end of a tight first set and then took command of the second. Gauff will now face Martina Trevisan in the semis.

Trevisan, 28, also reached the last four at Roland Garros for a first time after overcoming Leylah Fernandez 6-2 6-7 (3-7) 6-3.

She started confidently against the 19-year-old 2021 US Open finalist, who struggled with a foot injury. Fernandez, seeded 17, saved a match point in the second set, winning the tie-break comfortably as the Italian faltered.

However, the unseeded Trevisan recovered her poise to take the third set.