'Shortest in history': Russian star's terse 11-word presser

Russian young gun Daniil Medvedev needed just 11 words to explain his epic collapse in the first round at Roland Garros.

The 23-year-old stunned fans on Court 14 when he led Frenchman Pierre-Hugues Herbert two sets to love after an hour and 15 minutes.

However, the local hero came roaring back to win 4-6 4-6 6-3 6-2 7-5 in a match that finished six minutes short of four hours.

Herbert, who dominated at the net in the final three sets, broke Medvedev in the 11th game of the fifth and served it out the following game, winning on his first match point.

The defeat capped off a shocking four-match skid to end Medvedev's clay-court swing.

After reaching the Monte Carlo Masters semi-finals, he made it to the Barcelona final the very next week.

But Medvedev won just four games in a Dominic Thiem demolition job, and since then he's lost three consecutive first-round matches.

It comes as no surprise, then, that the world No.14 was in no mood to discuss his form after losing to Herbert.

"It's never easy to lose a match when you are two sets (to) love, but what went wrong for you in this match?" a journalist asked to open the press conference.

Medvedev offered a terse reply: "He started playing better after two sets. That was the case."

And that was it – no more questions, no further explanations – but few would blame him.

The 11-word response might be a new record, going one better (or worse) than Novak Djokovic’s 12-word presser after a loss to Nick Kyrgios in 2017.

The mood was much more celebratory when Herbert entered the room following his win over Medvedev.

“It was one of the best (wins), for sure,” the 28-year-old said.

“Maybe, emotion-wise, maybe the best, yes. The atmosphere was incredible.

"The crowd was incredible, very precious help. I used the crowd. They pushed me in difficult moments.

"When you're two sets down, it's very difficult. It's in part thanks to the crowd that I was able to win today."

Herbert won't have things so easy in the second round, when he faces fellow Frenchman Benoit Paire.

"It's a 100 per cent French match, which is never easy," Paire said after a four-set win over Romania's Marius Copil.

"But whatever happens I'm very happy (Herbert) won in the first round, and I'm very happy to play with him in the second."

The winner of that match could come up against Australian 21st seed Alex de Minaur, who faces Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta in the second round.