For his return to the Australian Open after his huge disappointment in the final of the last edition with a cruel defeat in five sets against Rafael Nadal, Daniil Medvedev had to be immediately focused in his first round against the American Marcos Giron, 56th world player. And that’s what he did perfectly. Imperial from the beginning to the end of the match, the Russian played perfectly, leaving only three games behind him. He won 6-0, 6-1, 6-2 in just one hour and 37 minutes, without dropping his serve despite conceding six break points. A true demonstration of strength from Gilles Cervara’s protégé. Next step, a duel against John Millman.
“I’m really happy with my match. Marcos (Giron) is a tough opponent, so to beat him with this score in the first round of a Grand Slam is great. I’m really happy with my level and I can’t wait to play the next round. I have good memories from last year, but I want to have better ones this year,” said Medvedev, who will have to face the crowd since he will be playing a local. “I’ve been on the circuit for five or six years and I’ve never played Millman. He’s a great player, especially here in Australia. He’s a great player. He beat Roger (Federer) at the US Open when Roger was at the top, so he’s capable of playing great tennis. I’m going to have to do my best, too.”