(New York) Daniil Medvedev defeated Attila Balazs 6-1, 6-1, 6-0 at the US Open on Tuesday, sending a message to consider him a favorite too, not just Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic.
Tournament champion in 2021, Medvedev needed only an hour and a quarter to advance to the second round.
A dozen hours after Djokovic easily won on his return to the American grand slam leg, Medvedev was just as intractable.
It was Djokovic that Medvedev beat in the final two years ago. The Serb then had the chance to win all the major tournaments of 2021.
Medvedev wowed in New York in 2019, reaching the final before losing to Rafael Nadal.
His triumph in the Big Apple in 2021 remains his only major title to date.
Alcaraz, the world number 1, also obtained his ticket for the next round. While leading 6-2, 3-2 against 75th-ranked Dominik Koepfer, the Spaniard saw his opponent forfeit.
Alcaraz had four aces in the game and did not double fault. On service reception, Alcaraz won 27 of 34 points.
Lloyd Harris will be the Spaniard’s opponent in the next round.
Alcaraz defeated Djokovic in the final at Wimbledon after the Serbian got the better of the Spaniard at Roland Garros en route to the title.
Andy Murray, titled in New York in 2012, defeated Corentin Moutet 6-2, 7-5 and 6-3.
The 36-year-old Scot won a 200th grand slam, a plateau reached by nine tennis players. His next rival will be Alex Molcan or Grigor Dimitrov.
2021 Wimbledon runner-up Matteo Berrettini inflicted a 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 loss to 29th-seeded Ugo Humbert.
