Reigning Sydney International champion Daniil Medvedev earned his first win at the Rogers Cup on Monday, returning after a three-hour rain delay to upset No. 13 seed Jack Sock 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 for a spot in the second round.
The Russian has had his fair share of ups and downs in 2018, losing five consecutive matches from 18 April until 10 June. But it appears the 2017 Next Gen ATP Finals semi-finalist is rounding into the form.
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The 22-year-old, currently No. 68 in the ATP Rankings, reached the third round at a Grand Slam for the first time at Wimbledon. And next, he will look to make the third round of an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event for the second time (2018 BNP Paribas Open) when he faces Frenchman Lucas Pouille or #NextGenATP Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime.
Sock, a Nitto ATP Finals qualifier one year ago, continues to search for his best form, losing his seventh match in a row and his second of two FedEx ATP Head2Head meetings against Medvedev. The American has a 25-8 record in doubles this season, lifting four tour-level titles thus far, and he is now 5-14 in singles.
Before the rain came, home favourite Peter Polansky, a wild card, advanced to the second round for the third consecutive year, ousting Aussie Matthew Ebden 7-6(3), 6-4 in one hour, 35 minutes. The Canadian will next face four-time champion Novak Djokovic or 2017 Next Gen ATP Finals winner Hyeon Chung. Polansky lost to Djokovic in Montreal nine years ago.
“It was so long ago. But I think his game style, he’s a little bit better for me, let’s say, compared to when I play [Roger] Federer second round just because Federer takes the ball so early and really puts a lot of pressure on you with that,” Polansky said. “I do remember when I played Djokovic, I was able to get into the point, and I was able to construct points the way I wanted to. Obviously, back then, I think 2009, he was a little bit of a different player back then.”
Elsewhere, Frenchman Benoit Paire broke four times to beat 2017 Next Gen ATP Finals qualifier Jared Donaldson 6-3, 6-4 in 70 minutes. The World No. 55 will next play top seed Rafael Nadal, against whom he has never won a set in three FedEx ATP Head2Head meetings.
American Bradley Klahn earned his second tour-level win since August 2014, ousting Spanish veteran David Ferrer 7-6(5), 6-4. Thanks to his 92-minute triumph, he guaranteed himself the top spot in the USTA’s US Open Wild Card Challenge, which means he will receive a main draw wild card into the US Open. The left-handed 27-year-old next faces last week’s Citi Open champion and No. 2 seed, Alexander Zverev.
Did You Know?
Medvedev has recently become more detail-oriented, embracing a new diet that includes fewer croissants, and more porridge.
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