Daniil Medvedev went up against a hostile crowd and the complete spectrum of Nick Kyrgios’ outbursts and tricks. However, he managed to remain calm long enough to progress to the third round of the Australian Open.

The 115th-ranked Kyrgios did a great job in working up the crowd, hitting ’tweeners and drop shots. He also mixed up the pace of his groundstrokes and even tossed in an under-arm serve in the attempt to faze the Russian.

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All throughout, Medvedev kept his composure.  The world number two took a quick trip to the locker room after he lost the third set and subsequently, recovered to win 7-6 (1), 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 at the rowdy Rod Laver Arena.

He was asked in an on-court TV interview with former champion Jim Courier, about how he managed to maintain his composure in the face of such odds.

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“That’s the only choice when you get booed between first and second serve,” he said, triggering some boos from the crowd. “It’s not easy. The (service) games I lost, on the break points, it was the case. It’s tough to play.”

Kyrgios usually prefers to play at the John Cain Arena, which is locally known as the People’s Court, since fans with ground passes can get in. As a result, the singing and chanting are always less restrained than the two primary show courts.

His showmanship managed to turn the all-ticketed stadium court into something more similar to the energy evident in a soccer stadium.

In the seventh game of the third set, Kyrgios had two break-point chances when he bunted away a backhand from Medvedev, which was directed at his body. Then, he took off on a circular run behind the baseline and celebrated like he had managed to score a goal.

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Upon converting the break, Kyrgios danced in the change-over, which got the crowd all charged up as well. It took Medvedev two service breaks in the fourth set to sedate the viewers’ expectations. This marks Medvedev’s first win against Kyrgios, after two losses in 2019.

Moreover, there was cheering later when Courier suggested Medvedev emerging as the new crowd favourite for the remainder of the tournament.

The Russian pro was the runner-up last year but he avenged the loss by getting the better of Serbian pro, Novak Djokovic in the final of the U.S. Open.

Currently, Medvedev is the quasi number one, because Djokovic was deported on the eve of the Australian Open, due to his failure to meet the country’s strict COVID-19 vaccination rules.

[Edited with AP inputs]