Friday’s Mubadala Citi Open action in DC saw No. 8 seed Daniil Medvedev upset by lucky loser Corentin Moutet, who won a thrilling three-set match with a jaw-dropping match point.
After getting eliminated by Yibing Wu in the final round of the qualifiers on Sunday, Moutet wound up getting a last-minute entry into the event following the withdrawal of Holger Rune. Since then, Moutet has gone on an impressive run, eliminating former DC champion Dan Evans in the Round of 16 on Thursday and former world No. 1 Daniil Medvedev today.
Following the three-set loss, a visibly frustrated Medvedev quickly threw his racquet across the court before shaking hands with his opponent, and chair umpire Mohamed Lahyani. The 2021 US Open champ then repeatedly hurled a metal water bottle at the ground, earning him boos from spectators in attendance.
The match point, as well as Medvedev’s post-match outburst, can be seen below.
Note: At the 24-second mark, Medvedev’s racquet can be seen (briefly) flying through the air before the two shake hands.
Is this the best match point of the year? 😱
#MubadalaCitiDCOpenRecapping Corentin Moutet’s Big Win Over Daniil Medvedev
Corentin Moutet’s win over Daniil Medvedev on Friday was anything but straightforward. In the first set, Moutet struggled to find his form, winning just 12 points while conceding the first set 6-1.
In the second, Moutet began to find his rhythm; however, both players appeared to be struggling to fight through the humid conditions in Washington, D.C., with Medvedev notably calling for a medical timeout mid-game due to heat exhaustion, and Moutet battling cramps.
Despite that, the French standout showed his mettle in big moments as the unforced errors racked up for the former world No. 1.
After Moutet leveled the score at one set apiece in the second, the two battled back and forth to start the third, with Moutet calling for an MTO as Medvedev looked to hold serve with an advantage at 3-3.
Shortly after, with Moutet up 5-4, and Medvedev serving to stay in the match, play was suspended due to lightning in the vicinity.
When action resumed, Moutet seized his opportunity, breaking Medvedev in the final game to secure a spot in the Mubadala Citi DC Open semifinals after an impressive final set where he logged four aces and just one double fault to Medvedev’s six.
With his win, Moutet has now cracked into the top 50 in the world on the ATP live rankings, landing at No. 46 just behind Sebastian Baez, and just ahead of Camilo Ugo Carabelli.
Corentin Moutet Awaits Alex de Minaur vs. Brandon Nakashima Winner in SF
Following his big win over Daniil Medvedev, which marked his eighth top-20 win, Moutet now finds himself in the semifinals for just the seventh time in his career.
The new world No. 46, who entered the tournament ranked 59 in the world, will now meet the winner of Friday’s match between Alex de Minaur and Brandon Nakashima in the semifinals on Saturday. So far, the French standout has yet to play either of the two players throughout his career.
On the opposite half of the ATP draw, the two winners of Friday’s Ben Shelton vs. Frances Tiafoe, and Taylor Fritz vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina match will collide in the other semifinal match.
To date, Moutet has never won an ATP title despite his six ATP Challenger titles and five ITF titles.
Daniil Medvedev Left Fuming After Stunning Upset To Corentin Moutet