Daniil Medvedev, the fifth seed at Wimbledon, confidently advanced to the second round with a dominant performance on Monday. The 28-year-old Russian, who reached the semi-finals last year, took just one hour and 46 minutes to dispatch American Aleksandar Kovacevic, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.
Medvedev, known for his powerful serve and forehand, proved too strong for the 88th-ranked New Yorker, who struggled to cope with his opponent’s aggressive style.
The Russian, who is chasing his second Grand Slam title after winning the 2021 U.S. Open, displayed his confidence and enjoyment on Court One, a surface he has never lost on.
“I’ve still never lost on Court One so hopefully I can play a lot more matches on this court,” a smiling Medvedev said during an on-court interview.
“Last year I said it was unfortunate I had to go to Centre Court for the semis and I lost,” he added, referring to his semi-final loss to eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz.
Medvedev fired 16 aces during the match, demonstrating his dominant serving performance.
“It is never easy to win in straight sets, especially on grass,” the former world No. 1 acknowledged. However, he made the victory look effortless, winning the first set with a break in the opening game, securing the second set with a pair of aces after breaking in the seventh game, and running away with the third set, sealing it with another ace on his third match point.
Medvedev’s impressive performance sets him up for a promising Wimbledon campaign as he aims to go further than last year’s semi-final appearance.
