Daniil Medvedev admitted he was stunned after discovering the Shanghai Masters centre court was far faster than expected, having initially doubted Novak Djokovic's comments about the surface.
The Russian, seeded No. 5, had played his first two matches on Grandstand, the tournament's second court, before stepping out onto the main Stadium court for the first time to face Stefanos Tsitsipas in the fourth round.
Medvedev's surprise on centre court
Medvedev said the difference in speed was dramatic, recalling Djokovic's earlier remarks about the courts being faster than in Beijing.
“First of all, super strange, the court is like three times faster than the other one. And so when I heard Novak after his match, and he was like, ‘The court is so much faster than Beijing', I was like, ‘Okay, let's see',” Medvedev said.
Quick adjustment leads to victory
Despite the surprise, Medvedev adjusted quickly and claimed a 6-4 7-5 victory over Tsitsipas to reach his fourth quarter-final in Shanghai.
The fast surface has been a talking point at this year's tournament, with all courts reportedly faster than in 2025. Medvedev admitted he had not believed the claims until he experienced the centre court himself during his pre-match knock-up.
