Medvedev Wins Vienna Opener, Faces Thiem Next

The potential matchup many had circled in the Erste Bank Open draw is now a reality. With his opening win on Wednesday, Daniil Medvedev set up a Thursday showdown with home favourite Dominic Thiem in Vienna.

The top-seeded Medvedev eased into the second round with a 6-2, 6-2 win against Nikoloz Basilashvili, breaking early and late in both sets. The 26-year-old improved to 30-10 on hard courts this season as he seeks his second title of 2022 (Los Cabos).

Making his second appearance in the Austrian capital, Medvedev will seek to match his 2020 quarter-final run with a victory against Thiem. The Austrian saved two match points against Tommy Paul on Tuesday to advance to the second round on home soil.

Thiem holds a 3-2 edge in his ATP Head2Head against Medvedev, though Medvedev won their most recent meeting by coming from a set down in the 2020 Nitto ATP Finals title match. Before that, Thiem won their 2020 US Open semi-final in straight sets on the way to his first Grand Slam title.

Denis Shapovalov also advanced on Wednesday in Vienna with a 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 win against Taylor Fritz. The defeat deals a blow to the American’s Nitto ATP Finals hopes, as he remains on the outside looking as the eighth-placed man in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin.

Through to the quarter-finals after his second win on the week, Shapovalov will face Daniel Evans next.