Tennis: Opelka defeats Medvedev at the Saint Petersburg Open

Daniil Medvedev started strong, dominating the first set, but then got frustrated against an opponent with a powerful serve (eleven aces).

Russian's Opelka, who measures 2.11 meters, proved to be an insurmountable obstacle for Medvedev, who had already come close to being eliminated in the first round.

The 23-year-old American, Opelka, won the second set and appeared much more confident than his rival in the decisive set.

Together with Ivo Karlovic, Opelka is the tallest tennis player in ATP history, ranked 36th in the world.

After being eliminated in the first round of Roland Garros, Medvedev once again disappointed in a season where he reached the semifinals of the US Open, his best result being the final in 2019.

However, the second seed, Canadian Denis Shapovalov, had an easy victory in the round of 16 against Belarusian Iliá Ivashka (6-1, 6-4). The number three seed, Russian Andrei Rublev, also came out victorious against Frenchman Ugo Humbert (6-4, 4-6, 7-5).

The Saint Petersburg Open, which has been held since 1995, was upgraded to ATP 500 status this year and offers over $1.2 million in prize money.

The tournament takes place with a limited audience due to coronavirus restrictions, with attendance not exceeding 50% of Sibur-Arena's capacity, which can hold over 7,000 spectators.