Dimitrov Downs Top-Seeded Medvedev in 3 Sets at Indian Wells

Daniil Medvedev, of Russia, walks off the court after losing to Grigor Dimitrov, of Bulgaria, at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament Wednesday, Oct. 13, 2021, in Indian Wells, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Daniil Medvedev, of Russia, walks off the court after losing to Grigor Dimitrov, of Bulgaria, at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament Wednesday, Oct. 13, 2021, in Indian Wells, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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Dimitrov Downs Top-Seeded Medvedev in 3 Sets at Indian Wells

Daniil Medvedev, of Russia, walks off the court after losing to Grigor Dimitrov, of Bulgaria, at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament Wednesday, Oct. 13, 2021, in Indian Wells, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Daniil Medvedev, of Russia, walks off the court after losing to Grigor Dimitrov, of Bulgaria, at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament Wednesday, Oct. 13, 2021, in Indian Wells, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Grigor Dimitrov outlasted top-seeded Daniil Medvedev 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 Wednesday in the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open, extending the parade of upsets that has knocked out several top players.

Medvedev’s loss left the combined ATP and WTA tournament without its top two men’s and women’s seeds. Karolina Pliskova lost in the third round. No. 2 Iga Swiatek went out in the fourth round.

Dimitrov rallied from a set and double-break down to upset Medvedev, the US Open champion who was chasing his fifth title of the year. Dimitrov, seeded 23rd, earned his first win over a Top-2 player since 2016, when he beat Andy Murray in Miami.

No. 2 Stefanos Tsitsipas defeated Alex de Minaur 6-7 (3), 7-6 (3), 6-2, and No. 3 Alexander Zverev routed No. 14 Gael Monfils 6-1, 6-3.

Dimitrov reached the quarterfinals at Indian Wells for the first time. He'll meet No. 8 Hubert Hurkacz, who beat 19th-seeded Asian Karatsev 6-1, 6-3.

“I always wanted to do well out here,” Dimitrov said. “I felt like I had so many chances throughout the years. I’ve lost very close matches, matches from match points and everything. I was very determined.”

Medvedev took control from the start, connecting on 80% of his first serves in the opening set. The Russian built a 4-1 lead in the second set before Dimitrov began turning the match around in front of a sparse crowd.

“He definitely flipped the switch,” Medvedev said. "If he plays like this, like he did starting from 4-1, he’s going to win the tournament.”

Dimitrov ran off five straight games to take the second set and even the match. The Bulgarian charged the net and closed out the match on Medvedev’s forehand that sailed long.

“He’s been the guy that has been playing the best out of everyone and always finding a way,” Dimitrov said. “It was a great, great match for me to win. But that's not the end. That's just another match at the same time. I got to stay focused and I got to look what's ahead of me and move forward."

Medvedev fell to 18-2 in North America over his last five events. He won in Toronto, reached the semifinals in Cincinnati, won the US Open and then helped Team Europe beat Team World in the Laver Cup in Boston. He is 50-11 in matches this year, and is re-considering his plans to play in his hometown of Moscow next week.

“I really want to do, but yeah, I need to take care of my body,” Medvedev said. “I did feel exhausted this tournament.”

In women's quarterfinals, former world No. 1 Victoria Azarenka beat American Jessica Pegula 6-4, 6-2. Azarenka, the 2016 tournament champion, next plays 24th-seeded Jelena Ostapenko.

Ostapenko, the 2017 French Open champion, beat Shelby Rogers 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 on the American's 29th birthday.

“I feel like my tennis is getting better, more consistent,” Ostapenko said.

Attendance is limited to 60% capacity at Indian Wells Tennis Garden because of the coronavirus pandemic, which forced the tournament to the fall from its usual March date on the calendar.

Also reaching the quarterfinals were No. 11 Diego Schwartzman, No. 21 Cameron Norrie, No. 29 Nikoloz Basilashvili and American Taylor Fritz.

Schwartzman beat sixth-seeded Casper Ruud 6-3, 6-3. Norrie ended the hopes of American Tommy Paul with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 victory. Basilashvili beat Karen Khachanov 6-4, 7-6 (6). Fritz, who grew up in the Los Angeles area and frequently attended the tournament as a youngster, beat No. 10 Jannik Sinner 6-4, 6-3.

“It's nice to kind of put it together this week,” Fritz said.



Leipzig Signs Bakayoko, Maksimovic and Diomande in Triple-Transfer Blitz

Leganes' Yan Diomande, center, and Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior fight for the ball during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Leganes at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Spain, March 29, 2025. (AP)
Leganes' Yan Diomande, center, and Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior fight for the ball during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Leganes at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Spain, March 29, 2025. (AP)
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Leipzig Signs Bakayoko, Maksimovic and Diomande in Triple-Transfer Blitz

Leganes' Yan Diomande, center, and Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior fight for the ball during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Leganes at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Spain, March 29, 2025. (AP)
Leganes' Yan Diomande, center, and Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior fight for the ball during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Leganes at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Spain, March 29, 2025. (AP)

Three in one day.

Leipzig has delivered a statement of intent for the new Bundesliga season by signing Belgium winger Johan Bakayoko, Serbia midfielder Andrija Maksimovic, and Ivory Coast youth international Yan Diomande all on the same day.

The 22-year-old Bakayoko's arrival from PSV Eindhoven was the last of the three announced by Leipzig on Wednesday, following that of the 18-year-old Maksimovic from Red Star Belgrade and Diomande, also 18, from Spanish second-division team Leganés.

All three players signed deals through June 2030, the Bundesliga club said.

Bakayoko, who had also been a target for Bayer Leverkusen, will wear the number 9 at Leipzig.

“We have had Johan Bakayoko on our radar for a couple of years now and have tried to sign him time and again,” Leipzig sporting director Marcel Schafer said. “We’re even happier that he’s chosen to join Leipzig despite many teams vying for his signature.”

Bakayoko helped PSV to back-to-back Dutch league titles with nine goals in 30 league appearances last season, and 12 in 33 the season before.

“With his power, explosiveness, pace and eye for goal, he’ll improve our play down the right wing and has his strengths both on and off the ball,” Schafer said.

Maksimovic made his professional debut aged 16 in Serbia, then Champions League debut and Serbia debut a year later. He has already played eight games for the national team.

“We’ve followed his progress closely during his first season at senior level and are convinced he’s already ready to take the next step,” Schafer said of Maksimovic.

Diomande spent just one season at Leganes after moving from Florida-based club AS Frenzi. He made his league debut against Real Madrid and scored two goals in 10 La Liga appearances for Leganes, which was relegated at the end of the season.

“He’s a left winger with outstanding pace, strong dribbling, athleticism and a real eye for goal. On top of that, he never gives up on a ball and plays with great team spirit. With these qualities, he fits perfectly into the type of football we want to play this season,” Schafer said.

Leipzig missed out on European qualification last season and will be targeting a top-4 finish in the Bundesliga to reach the lucrative Champions League.

Yussuf Poulsen, who joined Leipzig when it was still in Germany’s third division in 2013, has left for promoted Hamburger SV. Other players, including Benjamin Sesko and Lois Openda, are also candidates to leave.

Leipzig was founded in 2009 when energy drinks manufacturer Red Bull bought and rebranded fifth-tier club SSV Markranstadt and financed its rise through the lower divisions.