Fourth seed Medvedev sent packing by Fucsovics
Daniil Medvedev's miserable relationship with the French Open continued when the fourth seed was bundled out in the first round by Hungary's Marton Fucsovics late on Monday.
With the time nearing midnight on a dank and near-deserted Court Suzanne Lenglen, Fucsovics completed a shock 6-4 7-6(3) 2-6 6-1 win in a match of brutal rallies and tetchy exchanges.
Medvedev, who has beaten Fucsovics within their previous three encounters, now gets the undesirable statistic of losing in the first round at Roland Garros in four successive years.
The Russian's frustration boiled at the end of the next set when, after losing a sensational rally to decrease 3-6 in the tiebreak, he demolished his racket frame and was given a penalty point that handed the set to Fucsovics.
To his credit the 24-year-old Medvedev regained his composure to dominate the third set.
But with the temperature dipping towards single digits and both players gaining extra layers of clothing to remain warm at changeovers it was Fucsovics who was re-energised.
He quickly developed a commanding lead in the fourth set as Medvedev's resolve ebbed away and earned his first career victory over a top-10 player when the Russian netted.
Medvedev may be the highest seed to depart so far and the second amongst the men's top eight after eighth seed and home favourite Gael Monfils lost to Alexander Bublik.
This is a loss which will hurt too following the Russian arrived with real hopes of increasing his dreadful record at the claycourt slam.
The slower and sticky conditions were likely to suit his flat groundstrokes nonetheless it was 63rd-ranked Fucsovics who mastered the conditions to create a second-round clash against Spain's Albert Ramos-Vinolas.
There is better news for Medvedev's fellow Russian as 15th seed Karen Khachanov beat Poland's Kamil Majchrzak 7-6(3) 6-3 6-3.
