Zhuhai Championships loses star power as Medvedev withdraws from China return

Current world number three Daniil Medvedev became the latest big-name player to withdraw from the Zhuhai Championships.

The competition is set to begin in less than a week’s time and it will be played in Zhuhai, China.

Medvedev joins Alexander Shevchenko as another high-profile name player to withdraw from the mega-event.

The two will be replaced by America’s Aleksandar Kovacevic and Belgian’s Kimmer Coppejans.

Medvedev’s withdrawal will be a severe blow for the organisers as he once again showcased his class in the recently concluded US Open.

The 27-year-old suffered a defeat in the final of the fourth and final Grand Slam of the year to the current world number one Serbia’s Novak Djokovic with a score of 6-3, 7-6, 6-3.

Despite that defeat, Medvedev will be extremely pleased with his overall performance in the mega-event where he defeated the former world number one and defending champion Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinal with a score of 7-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3.

Overall, the Moscow-born, despite having a slow start, will end the year feeling good about his overall performances in the big events.

Medvedev failed in the Australian Open and French Open where he was knocked out from the third and first rounds but made a grand comeback in the last two Grand Slams of the year and played in the semifinal of Wimbledon and finished as the runner-up in the US Open.