Daniil Medvedev, the third seed and last year’s runner-up at the China Open, kicked off his tournament with a convincing 6-3, 6-4 win over veteran French player Gael Monfils. Medvedev’s dominance was evident in the first set, where he broke Monfils’ serve three times. The second set was a closer affair, with both players trading breaks, but ultimately, Medvedev secured the victory with another service break, finishing the match in 92 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a major upset at the Japan Open, Jack Draper, who reached the US Open semifinals, defeated second-seeded Hubert Hurkacz 6-4, 6-4. Draper’s performance was marked by a lower number of unforced errors compared to Hurkacz, ultimately contributing to the victory. He now advances to the quarterfinals where he will face the winner of the match between Brandon Nakashima and Ugo Humbert.
The women’s draw at the China Open also saw some notable results. Sixth-seeded Emma Navarro was surprisingly defeated by Chinese wildcard Zhang Shuai, who played well above her current singles ranking. Zhang, a doubles specialist, took advantage of her breakpoint opportunities, winning the match 6-4, 6-2. In other women’s matches, Diana Shnaider defeated former Australian Open winner Sofia Kenin, while Yuliia Starodubtseva claimed a victory over Katerina Siniakova.
Jessica Pegula, the second seed, is set to begin her tournament later today against Diane Parry. Coco Gauff will face Clara Burel in a night match. Aryna Sabalenka, the US Open champion, will play against Thai qualifier Mananchaya Sawangkaew on Saturday.
In Tokyo, defending champion Ben Shelton also secured his spot in the quarterfinals with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Mariano Navone. He joins Draper in the final eight, while top-seeded Taylor Fritz and third-seeded Casper Ruud were both eliminated from the tournament on Thursday.
