On Monday, Daniil Medvedev reclaimed the No. 1 spot in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings. Two days later, he wasted no time in backing up that status on court at the Terra Wortmann Open in Halle.
The top seed was imperious in completing a 6-3, 6-2 win over David Goffin on Wednesday to reach the second round at the ATP 500 event in Germany for the first time.
“It was a great match,” said Medvedev after his victory. “David is a tricky player. I think that’s why I went to play last week. It’s always an advantage when you played some matches and your opponent didn’t.
“[The] first set was really tight, like always on a grass court. I feel like he was missing his rhythm a little bit, I was trying to serve fast, it was not easy for him. I managed to keep this momentum until the end and that was enough today.”
Goffin had won the pair’s only previous tour-level meeting on grass, a five-set victory in the third round at Wimbledon in 2019, and the Belgian was by no means below-par in the first-round clash. Yet Medvedev found a consistently high level from the start on OWL Arena, giving the 2019 finalist few opportunities to counter in a 64-minute victory.
Medvedev appeared in control of a high-quality first set thanks to a break in the fourth game, but as he served for it at 5-3 Goffin’s clean-hitting carved out a break-back opportunity. The World No. 1’s ability to find big serves at important moments had defined his run to the final at the Libema Open in ‘s-Hertogenbosch last week, however, and his delivery was precise once again as he fended off the break point at 30/40 before going on to convert his second set point.
An all-around performance from Medvedev in the second set made it increasingly difficult for World No. 39 Goffin to stick with his opponent. Medvedev raced to a 4-0 lead, and although he again needed to find a big serve to fend off break point and hold for 5-1, the top seed was comfortable in serving out for victory having fired 17 winners, including six aces.
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Medvedev missed much of the 2022 European clay season due to a hernia procedure, and he acknowledged the break was a contributing factor to his bright start on the grass this year.
“The clay seems like a long season for me, especially I struggle mentally a lot on it, so I always feel like I am a little bit worn out after Roland Garros,” said Medvedev. “[This year] I just played two tournaments [on clay], and still Roland Garros, even though I played good there, it is tough for me to play on clay. So it’s not that easy, but definitely I am more fresh than [earlier] years.”
A second-round meeting with Ilya Ivashka now awaits Medvedev in north-west Germany, where the 26-year-old is chasing his maiden title of the 2022 season.
Source Tennis – ATP World Tour
