Thiago Seyboth Wild Upsets Daniil Medvedev In First Round Of French Open 2023. Qualifier Thiago Seyboth Wild caused a major upset by defeating second seed Daniil Medvedev in a surprising first-round match at the French Open. Despite facing challenging conditions and Seyboth Wild’s impressive forehand, Medvedev succumbed to a 7-6 (7-5) 6-7 (6-8) 2-6 6-3 6-4 loss. Medvedev, who entered Roland Garros in excellent form and contention for the world number one ranking, struggled with inconsistency, enabling the 172nd-ranked Seyboth Wild to secure a spot in the second round and achieve his first Grand Slam milestone.
The 23-year-old qualifier, who had not played a Tour-level match this year, unveiled their dream come true of defeating Daniil on such a court, attributing it to their experience of watching him play since their junior days. They highlighted the effectiveness of their strategy, utilizing their forehand against Daniil’s. Despite grappling with cramping at the beginning of the second set, they harnessed their mental strength to deliver their best tennis performance.
Reflecting on the match, the player struggled to find adequate words to convey the overwhelming emotions experienced upon securing victory. They characterized the moment as an unparalleled sense of pure joy, asserting it to be the happiest day of their life.
About the Medvedev-Thiago Match
In a marathon match lasting four hours and 15 minutes, Seyboth Wild fought back after losing his opening service game to claim the first set. However, a missed overhead by Seyboth Wild allowed Medvedev to seize the second set after leading 6-4 in the tie-break, casting doubt on Seyboth Wild’s prospects. Despite a brief interruption for a nosebleed, Medvedev managed to secure the third set. The recent Rome champion, Medvedev, struggled against his opponent’s dominant forehand shots and committed 15 costly double faults.
Seyboth Wild launched a comeback in the fourth set, breaking Medvedev’s serve early on to establish a 3-0 lead, pushing the match to a decisive fifth set. In the final set, Seyboth Wild broke Medvedev’s serve three times. With yet another exceptional forehand, he set up match point before ultimately sealing the most significant victory of his career with a powerful forehand down the line.
