INDIAN WELLS, Calif. (AFP) — Grigor Dimitrov outlasted top-seeded Daniil Medvedev 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 in the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open, extending the parade of upsets that has knocked out several top players.
Medvedev’s loss left the combined ATP and WTA tournament without its top two men’s and women’s seeds. Karolina Pliskova lost in the third round. No. 2 Iga Swiatek went out in the fourth round.
Dimitrov rallied from a set and double-break down to upset Medvedev, the U.S. Open champion who was chasing his fifth title of the year. Dimitrov, seeded 23rd, earned his first win over a Top-2 player since 2016, when he beat Andy Murray in Miami.
No. 2 Stefanos Tsitsipas defeated Alex de Minaur 6-7 (3), 7-6 (3), 6-2, and No. 3 Alexander Zverev routed No. 14 Gael Monfils 6-1, 6-3.
Dimitrov reached the quarterfinals at Indian Wells for the first time. He’ll meet No. 8 Hubert Hurkacz, who beat 19th-seeded Asian Karatsev 6-1, 6-3.
Medvedev took control from the start, connecting on 80% of his first serves in the opening set. The Russian built a 4-1 lead in the second set before Dimitrov began turning the match around in front of a sparse crowd.
“He definitely flipped the switch,” Medvedev said. “If he plays like this, like he did starting from 4-1, he’s going to win the tournament.”
Dimitrov ran off five straight games to take the second set and even the match. The Bulgarian charged the net and closed out the match on Medvedev’s forehand that sailed long.
Medvedev fell to 18-2 in North America over his last five events. He won in Toronto, reached the semifinals in Cincinnati, won the U.S. Open and then helped Team Europe beat Team World in the Laver Cup in Boston. He is 50-11 in matches this year, and is re-considering his plans to play in his hometown of Moscow next week.