"Can I ask the ball girl to remove my shirt?" - Daniil Medvedev gives ball girl bizarre request enroute to triumph in Shanghai

Heat and humidity have surrounded the Shanghai Masters recently, with players struggling to compete in the gruelling conditions. While most players are affected with dizziness and heat stroke, it caused Daniil Medvedev grief for a completely different reason in his 7-6(6), 6-7(1) 6-4 victory over Learner Tien.

With temperatures around the mid-30s and humidity rising as high as 80%, it has been a complete nightmare for players to compete in, with a number of retirements coming from this. Some battle through it, with Novak Djokovic collapsing to the ground after losing the second set in his round-of-16 clash but getting up to go on and win.

Medvedev has had his problems with humidity in the past, being affected by more than other competitors. However, the Russian was able to battle through what the sweltering climate threw at him, picking up a huge win to send him into the quarter-finals of the event.

Ball boys and girls are put through a lot when on the court, consistently aiding and supporting the players. While most of it is collecting balls, passing them their towels or holding up umbrellas, one certain ball girl was asked to do a completely different task.

At one point in the match, Medvedev went to change his shirt which was drenched in sweat. He could not complete this task as he was suffering with cramp so turned to the umpire and asked: "Sorry, can I ask the ball girl to remove my shirt? I'm cramping here. I need to change my shirt."

It would have most certainly been a hugely awkward and unpleasant situation for the girl, but fortunately for her the ATP supervisor Gerry Armstrong stepped up to the task, taking off the former US Open champion's shirt before Medvedev replaced it with a fresh one.

This was the second time the duo had met in a short space of time, with the 19-year-old making an impressive comeback to defeat Medvedev in the China Open semi-final to reach his first tour final. He was 4-0 up in the third before the 29-year-old retired due to cramp. However, Medvedev would reign supreme in Shanghai as he confirmed his place in the Masters 1000 quarter-final.

Medvedev would save a set point on the way to clinching it in a tight tiebreaker, before finding himself 3-0 up in the second set, deja-vu of their previous clash. Once again, Tien won five consecutive games to go 5-3 up. Medvedev broke back and forced another tiebreaker, in which Tien comprehensively won. At 4-3 down in the third, the Russian found three games on the spin to break the resistance of the American and finally triumph against him in the torrid conditions. After the match he was not short of praise for the young man.

"I think the toughest part was that we played two times [before], and in my opinion, he is an unbelievable player, because he doesn’t have a great serve and serve is so important in tennis," Medvedev said. "Without the serve, he is 19 years old and 30-something in the world and only going up. In my opinion he is such a good tennis player. He feels the game so well. There are so many guys right now that just hit strong with every ball they have, and they have an amazing serve which allows them to stay in the tennis match. He doesn’t have it, and he manages to play so good without it. For me to beat him… I thought I was going to lose. I was cramping again and I’m just super happy to manage to do it."

The 2019 champion will face off against Alex de Minaur in the quarter-finals as he looks to continue his recent positive form.