What Daniil Medvedev was spotted mouthing to himself straight after knocking Alex de Minaur out in Shanghai

Daniil Medvedev is back to his best in Shanghai and is through to the semifinals of the ATP Masters 1000 event after defeating Alex de Minaur.

Medvedev beat de Minaur in straight sets, 6-4, 6-4, to earn the 50th top-ten win of his career, becoming the second player born after 1990 to achieve the feat, following Alexander Zverev.

The Russian has enjoyed a strong campaign at the Shanghai Masters so far, in what marks his third tournament with newly appointed Thomas Johansson as his coach.

With a final four showdown against Arthur Rinderknech up next, Medvedev says he has been ‘expecting’ a lengthy run like this to happen.

Daniil Medvedev reacts to reaching the semifinals in Shanghai

“I did expect this,” he said in his on-court interview. “I played great in Beijing. I was serving for the match to be in the final against Jannik [Sinner].

“I played great in Hangzhou. I was serving for the match and didn’t win it, but as long as I can serve for the match like this, maybe I can go far.”

After he triumphed over de Minaur with an ace on match point, former British tennis player Naomi Broady noticed Medvedev making a comment.

Speaking on Sky Sports, Broady said: “I think Medvedev just mouthed ‘unbelievable’ to himself after he hit that ace.”

She continued: “That is the best tennis I have seen him play in a while. It was so important that he got that done in straight sets.”

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Medvedev, seeded 16th in Shanghai, emerged victorious in just under an hour on Stadium Court, his second-longest match of the tournament so far.

“I was super tired,” said the former world number one. “I knew that against Alex, like Learner, we were going to have long points and I think in the third or fourth game we had a couple. I was like this is going to be a long day!

“I was happy with the way I played. I was really clutch in the important moments. I was hitting the ball great.

“I was putting him under pressure many times, and the second set was tough; it was tight, but I managed to bring my best in the last two games. I am really happy with the level.”

Daniil Medvedev joins Novak Djokovic and Gael Monfils in exclusive club

Medvedev’s next clash with Rinderknech will mark the 50th hard-court semifinal he has featured in over the course of his career.

He has become only the third active player to tally half a century of such appearances, joining ATP veterans Gael Monfils and Novak Djokovic, who have totals of 51 and 126, respectively.

Trailing Medvedev are Zverev with 44, and former US Open champion Marin Cilic with 43.

The world number 18 now has a golden opportunity to reach his first ATP Masters 1000 final since the Indian Wells Open in 2024.

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