Medvedev, Raonic ease into Cincinnati third round
Defending champion Daniil Medvedev and big-serving Canadian Milos Raonic were among the early winners on day three of the Western and Southern Open.
Daniil Medvedev, Cincinnati
The Russian showed he has lost none of his resilience, commitment and movement, three things that took him all the way to the title last summer and into the world’s top five, as he eased past the challenge of American qualifier, Marcos Giron.
World No 5 Daniil Medvedev, seeded three this week, dropped just three points on his first serve as he clinched a 6-4, 6-4 victory, putting him into the third round and a meeting with Slovenia’s Aljaz Bedene, who ousted American Taylor Fritz 7-6, 7-5.
“It was actually really tough,” said Medvedev, the runner-up at last year’s US Open. “It was so hot today in New York. Really tough to play. I think I see this in many matches. Especially after losing first set, many guys are tough to get back in the second. I know I served well. I’m not really happy with my level from the baseline, but I won in straight sets without going to the tiebreak. Didn’t lose my serve. That’s what matters. That’s the most important. Sometimes you can play good and lose a match, so it’s better to play not your best tennis and win a match. Looking forward to next round.”
Medvedev also remembered to send a message to his beloved Bayern Munich – he has been a fan since first seeing them on television when about five or six years old – who won the Champions League on Sunday.
💪@FCBayernEN https://t.co/560AK7Z2D8
— Daniil Medvedev (@DaniilMedwed) August 24, 2020
On a hot, humid day at the Billie Jean King Center at Flushing Meadows, which is staging this year’s event instead of Cincinnati, Milos Raonic beat Evans 6-3, 7-5 with a typically-brilliant serving display.
The Canadian, unseeded this year as he makes his way back from injury, pinched the first set thanks to one break and repeated the feat in the second, while Evans never got a real foothold in the match, unable to force a break point in the match as Raonic set up a clash with either former world No 1 Andy Murray or fifth seed Sascha Zverev.
Felix bows out
There was a surprise defeat for 15th seed Felix Auger-Aliassime, though, as the Canadian was ground down 6-7, 6-2, 7-6 by American Tennys Sandgren in a match that lasted two hours, 50 minutes.
