Daniil Medvedev plays under the white flag. Sadly, it is not the flag of Russian surrender so much as sporting neutrality.
The Russian competes here on his own. He, like other Russians, plays for himself at the Australian Open not his country – there is to be no victory for Russia here.
Daniil Medvedev plays a backhand return to Marcos Giron.Credit:AP
This symbolic gesture is tennis’ protest at the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Playing under that white, non-aligned flag, Medvedev breezed through his first round and now plays local boy John Millman. Medvedev can be assured there will be no shortage of Australian flags and colours in the stadium for his opponent.
On opening night in Melbourne it was about Medvedev’s tennis not war.
His tennis was clinical. He accounted for American Marcus Giron in straight sets 6-0, 6-1, 6-2 in just over an-hour-and-a-half and set up a meeting with veteran Millman, a player who, remarkably, Medvedev had never played on tour.
Medvedev was well aware of the danger the local represented. Millman beat Roger Federer at the US Open in 2018 and pushed him to five sets here in 2020.
“It’s five or six years [on tour] and I have never played him. [But] I know he is a great player. Beat Roger Federer … he is capable of great tennis,” Medvedev said.
