Ranked third in the seeding, just behind Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic, Daniil Medvedev demonstrated his mastery on the court by demolishing Attila Balazs in a mere 74 minutes. The tennis showdown took place at the iconic Flushing Meadows in New York, part of the US Open running from August 28 to September 10. Those not fortunate enough to be there could follow the fast-paced action via the Sport News Center’s daily text and radio commentary, as well as BBC Radio 5 Live and 5 Sports Extra.
A former 2021 champ, Medvedev played like he was double-parked, swatting 41 winners and leaving the Hungarian in the dust with an almost comical scoreline of 6-1, 6-1, 6-0.
Although the attention magnet of this year’s tournament seems to be fixed on Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz, Medvedev couldn’t be less bothered. “Doesn’t matter, don’t care,” quipped the 27-year-old Russian, who performed on Arthur Ashe Stadium. “Let them have their limelight. I’m just here to, you know, win.”
The hype, it seems, has been all about the emerging clash of tennis titans—Alcaraz and Djokovic. But Medvedev made it clear: he’s not in New York for the applause; he’s here for the trophy.
On his journey to what he hopes will be tennis glory, Medvedev is set to go head-to-head with the victor of the Aussie showdown between Max Purcell and Christopher O’Connell, as they battle for a place in the last 32.
In other news that’s not about Djokovic or Alcaraz (shocking, I know), 12th-seeded Alexander Zverev, who was a finalist in the 2020 US Open, smoothly sailed past Australia’s Aleksandar Vukic with a solid 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 win.
Matteo Berrettini, a one-time Wimbledon finalist, didn’t exactly receive a standing ovation but did dominate French 29th seed Ugo Humbert with scores of 6-4, 6-2, 6-2. Next on Berrettini’s dance card is another Frenchman, Arthur Rinderknech, who previously defeated Argentina’s Diego Schwartzman 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.
So whether you’re tracking live scores or merely setting alerts on your phone, this year’s US Open seems set to offer some jaw-dropping moments, dazzling showdowns, and perhaps a few eyebrow-raising upsets. Stay tuned.
