Daniil Medvedev could not escape the first-round trap at the French Open, falling to Australian wildcard Adam Walton 6-2, 1-6, 6-1, 1-6, 6-4 in a roller-coaster match on the Paris clay.
The former world number one has now exited in the opening round six times in previous clay court Grand Slam appearances, highlighting his ongoing struggle with Roland Garros and the tour's slowest surface.
Medvedev showed signs of frustration early on Tuesday, dropping his serve and allowing Walton to race to a 4-2 lead in the opening set. The 30-year-old Australian clinched the set with a forehand winner down the line.
A swift and forceful recovery followed as Medvedev regained his rhythm, taking the second set with just one game lost. However, the sixth seed could not sustain his level and dropped the third set.
Walton, ranked 97th in the world and seeking his first win over a top-10 player, lost the fourth set but battled tenaciously in the decider. He broke serve at 4-4, held a tense service game, and sealed the match to cap a famous victory.
“It feels amazing,” Walton said in his on-court interview, adding that his win over Medvedev in Cincinnati last year gave him belief he could repeat the feat.
“I knew I could do it and I believed, so I'm very happy with my performance,” Walton said. “The match had so many ups and downs. I'm pretty tired, but proud of the effort in the fifth set, coming back from a break down to win.”
In the second round, the 27-year-old Walton will face American Zachary Svajda, who defeated Australia's Alexei Popyrin.
