Daniil Medvedev said he produced a ‘great level’ of play after easing into the third round of the US Open on Wednesday.
The 2020 runner-up rallied past Germany’s Dominik Koepfer 6-4, 6-1, 6-2, in a match that was played under the roof of the Arthur Ashe stadium. Throughout the 110-minute encounter, Medvedev was able to dictate play with the help of 23 winners as he fired eight aces past his opponent in what turned into a largely one-sided encounter.
Seeking his first Grand Slam title at the age of 25, the only time Medvedev looked to be in trouble was midway through the opener where a lacklustre service game resulted in him dropping serve. His victory over Koepfer, who has played a top 10 player in every major this season, was a stark contrast to their last meeting at the same event two years ago. On that occasion, he was forced to come back from a set down before clinching the win in a fourth set tiebreak.
“It was a completely different match to two years ago. It was a great level from me,” Medvedev said during his on-court interview. “There were a few tight moments in the match which I managed to play well. That’s why I think at one moment his level started to drop a bit and I took advantage of it. I’m really happy to be through (to the third round) in less than two hours.”
Medvedev has now won 13 out of 15 matches played since the conclusion of Wimbledon. During that period he reached the quarterfinals at the Olympics, semi-finals in Cincinnati and lifted the Toronto Masters trophy. So far in his career, he has recorded 201 Tour victories with 161 of those occurring on a hardcourt.
“I just try to win. That’s what I have been trying since I was young, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. I play a lot of strong guys on the Tour,” he said.
“You can ask Novak (Djokovic). The guy has 20 slams, almost doesn’t lose a match he plays but as you see (with his match) yesterday was a challenge.’
“Every match is a new challenge (for me). The more I win, the better I will feel.”
Next up for the world No.2 in New York will be meeting with Spain’s Pablo Andujar who dropped just eight games in his second round match against Philipp Kohlschreiber. It will be the first Tour meeting between the two.
Medvedev is bidding to become the first male player from his country to win the US Open title since Marat Safin in 2000.
