Indian Wells, Calif., Oct. 14 (BUS): Grigor Dimitrov outlasted top seed Daniil Medvedev 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 Wednesday in the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open, extending the review of turmoil that led to the ejection of Many top players.
Medvedev’s loss left both the ATP and WTA Championships without their top men’s and women’s manufacturers. Karolina Pliskova lost in the third round and second seed Iga Swiatek was knocked out in the fourth round, the Associated Press reported.
Dimitrov rose from a set and double-break to turn US Open champion Medvedev, who was chasing his fifth title of the year. Dimitrov, seeded 23, took his first best player win since 2016, when he beat Andy Murray in Miami.
2nd seed Stefanos Tsitsipas and 3rd Alexander Zverev played night matches in the Southern California desert.
Dimitrov has reached the quarter-finals in Indian Wells for the first time, where he will meet eighth seed Hubert Hurkacz, who beat 19th-seeded Asian Karatsev 6-1 6-3.
“I always wanted to do well here,” said Dimitrov. “I felt like I had so many chances over the years. I lost very close matches, match points matches and everything. I was very determined.”
Medvedev won the US Open last month and was chasing his fifth title of the year. He took control from the start, tying 80% of his first serve in the first set. The Russian led 4-1 in the second set before Dimitrov began to turn the game in front of a small crowd.
“He definitely flipped the switch,” Medvedev said. “If he plays this way as he did starting from 4-1, he will win the championship.”
Dimitrov fought five games in a row to win the second set and even the match. The Bulgarian scored and ended the match with Medvedev’s forehand that lasted for a long time.
“He was the guy who did the best out of everyone and always found a way,” Dimitrov said. “It was a great and great match for me to win. But this is not the end. This is just another match at the same time. I had to stay focused and have to look at what was ahead and move on.”
Medvedev has fallen to 18-2 in North America during his last five tournaments. He won in Toronto, reached the semi-finals in Cincinnati, won the US Open, then helped Team Europe beat Team World at the Laver Cup in Boston. He is 50-11 in games this year, and is reconsidering his plans to play in his hometown of Moscow next week.
“I really want to do it, but yes, I need to take care of my body,” Medvedev said. “I felt exhausted in this tournament.”
In the women’s quarter-finals, former world number one Victoria Azarenka beat American Jessica Pegula 6-4, 6-2. Azarenka, the 2016 champion, plays the winner of an overnight match between 24th seed Jelena Ostapenko and American Shelby Rogers.
Attendance is limited to 60% of capacity at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden due to the coronavirus pandemic, which has forced the tournament down from the regular March date on the calendar.
11th seed Diego Schwartzman, 21st seed Cameron Nouri, 29th seed Nikoloz Basilashvili and American Taylor Fritz also reached the quarter-finals.
Schwartzman defeated sixth-seeded Casper Rudd 6-3 6-3. Nouri ended American Tommy Ball’s hopes with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 victory. Basilashvili beat Karen Khachanov 6-4 7-6 (6). Fritz, who grew up in the Los Angeles area and attended the tournament frequently when he was young, beat 10th seed Yannick Sinner 6-4, 6-3.