World No.1 Daniel Medvedev kicked off his North American hard-court summer season with an easy win over Australian qualifier Rinky Hijikata late Wednesday night, to secure a spot in the Michael Open Los Cabos quarterfinals.
The top seed looked impressive in his 6-4 6-3 victory, as he dictated play with his precise groundstrokes. Medvedev saved the only break point he faced in the match, relying on his big serve and shot placement to get him out of trouble.
The reigning US Open champion relentlessly attacked his opponent’s serve, enabling him to obtain two breaks of serve out of seven opportunities. Hijikata might have stood a chance against other players, but he lacked the firepower required to rattle his higher-ranked opponent.
With his first match in close to a month out of the way, Medvedev looks set for the quarterfinals, where he will face Lithuanian Ricardas Berankis. Both men are tied at 1-1 in career meetings, with Berankis prevailing in their most recent encounter in Dubai in 2019.
