Russia's Daniil Medvedev reacts after a point against Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas during their men's singles semi-final match of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on February 19, 2021. (Photo by Brandon MALONE / AFP) / -- IMAGE RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - STRICTLY NO COMMERCIAL USE -- (Photo by BRANDON MALONE/AFP via Getty Images)
Third seed Daniil Medvedev locks horns with the talented Miomir Kecmanovic in the round of 16 of the Adelaide International on Wednesday.
The former world No. 1 played in the Diriyah Tennis Cup to prepare for the new season. The defending champion reached the finals and suffered a loss to Taylor Fritz.
The Russian sensation kickstarted the new season with a hard-fought contest against Lorenzo Sonego in the round of 32. Medvedev was the favorite going into the match. However, he was given a real hard time by the Italian star. Sonego fought hard in the first set and almost won it but Medvedev persevered to save six set points with the score at 4-5. The match eventually ended after Sonego retired 7-6 (8-6), 2-1 owing to leg cramps.
The Serbian youngster produced a gritty display to defeat Christopher O’Connell in straight sets 6-4, 6-4. In all fairness, Kecmanovic did not play his best game but he kept on grinding and it bore fruit.
The 23-year-old had a win percentage of 58 on the first serve but that number improved substantially on the second serve to an impressive 81 percent. He will have to serve well and also play well to give Medvedev a good run for his money.
Daniil Medvedev has a 2-0 lead in the head-to-head scoreline against Miomir Kecmanovic. They faced each other twice in 2022. The first encounter was at the French Open while the other instance was at the Los Cabos Open. On both occasions, the experienced campaigner won in straight sets.
Prediction: Daniil Medvedev to win in straight sets.
More Tennis news
Follow our dedicated Tennis page for instant Tennis news and updates