Philipp Kohlschreiber started the year 2018 with a defeat: Germany’s longstanding number one was defeated by the Russian Daniil Medvedev in Sydney with 2:6 and 3:6.
Kohlschreiber’s appearance at the ATP World Tour 250 event lasted only 69 minutes, and then Medvedev, who had made it into the main draw over qualifying, had made it clear that he would make his way into the second round of Sydney. The Russian, who last year took part in the #NextGen Masters in Milan as one of the eight best U-21 players, was particularly convincing with his serve: Kohlschreiber only had one thing to contend with against Medvedev’s eight aces.
The native of Augsburg had prepared himself in Kitzbühel, in Upper Austria with his coach Markus Hipfl, in the tennis base in Oberhaching and most recently on Tenerife with the training group of Dominic Thiem. The defeat of the 34-year-old will have no effect on the status of Philipp Kohlschreiber as seeded for the first Grand Slam tournament of 2018, which will start next Monday in Melbourne: Kohlschreiber is currently listed as number 29 in the world, and this is certainly the case.
From a German perspective, hopes are now resting on Mischa Zverev, who is in eighth position in Sydney. Jan-Lennard Struff has already retired: The Warsteiner lost to Bosnian Damir Dzumhur on Sunday.
Here the single panel in Sydney