Medvedev Hits 60 Wins With Shanghai Victory

  • Posted: Oct 07, 2023

Medvedev Hits 60 Wins With Shanghai Victory

Oct072023

Second seed books clash with Korda

Daniil Medvedev picked up where he left off Saturday at the Rolex Shanghai Masters.

Stepping onto the Qizhong Tennis Center’s Stadium Court for the first time since his 2019 title run, Medvedev ground down Cristian Garin for a 6-3, 6-3 win to kick-start his campaign at the ATP Masters 1000 event. A display packed with trademark defensive nous and a refusal to miss proved too much for Garin as the second seed comfortably advanced having converted five of nine break points he earned.

With his 92-minute victory, Medvedev became the second player to notch 60 tour-level wins this season after Carlos Alcaraz. It is the second time he has achieved the feat in his career, after he finished the 2021 season with 63 wins. The 27-year-old Medvedev also owns a Tour-leading 43 victories on hard courts this season.

“I hope so, you never know,” said Medvedev, when asked if he was confident of passing his record of 63 wins. “At this moment and with the form I’m in, I would confidently say I will do it, but never say things too early in tennis.

“I’m going to try my best, I’m going to try to play more good matches in the tournament that I have left this season. It’s a good result so far, so I want to try to do better.”

Medvedev now holds a 7-2 record in Shanghai, where he lifted the second of his six Masters 1000 crowns by beating Alexander Zverev in the 2019 championship match, and is chasing his third title at that level this year having already triumphed in Miami and Rome. He will next look to avenge his Australian Open defeat to Sebastian Korda when he takes on the American in the third round in China.

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