Jan 21 : Daniil Medvedev survived an early scare against Frenchman Quentin Halys in the second round of the Australian Open on Wednesday but dug deep to record a 6-7(9) 6-3 6-4 6-2 victory.
A three-times finalist at Melbourne Park, Medvedev battled for over an hour in the first set, only to lose after an intense tiebreak.
The Russian was also broken early in the second set by the world number 83 but regained his composure to level the match.
The 11th seed controlled the baseline exchanges in the third set to convert an early break point and followed it up with an aggressive service game.
Medvedev then exploited Halys’s weak returns with fierce groundstrokes to secure the win and advance to the third round.
“I feel I was playing much better in Brisbane,” said Medvedev, who won the Brisbane International tune-up event. “I still can’t get exactly used to the court here. I feel I am missing a bit of power in my shots.
“But while you continue winning in a tournament, you find it step-by-step.
“It’s for the first time in a couple of years I am in a third round of a Grand Slam, so feeling good.”
Medvedev, the 2021 U.S. Open champion, will meet Hungarian Fabian Marozsan in the third round.
