Daniil Medvedev hasn't played tennis in a while but he didn't forget how to do it as his win over Marcos Giron at the 2023 Halle Open demonstrated that.
The last time we saw Medvedev on a tennis court was in Paris at Roland Garros. He was arguing with the crowd and not playing a very good match against a very inspired opponent who ultimately beat him to complete a major upset.
The Russian quickly reverted towards his old self bashing the surface and admitting relief that the clay season is finally over. He then used the extra time to watch some Formula One and relax before making a return in Den Bosch last week.
Wasn't a long stay as he was beaten by Adrian Mannarino who lost to Medvedev the year earlier at the same event. That was a signal for an early flight to Halle and the extra time allowed him to prepare well. His first match in Halle went better than the Libema Open experience as he cruised past a tricky opponent in Marcos Giron.
Medvedev loves to play in Halle as he's coming back to the event for the 3rd year in a row now, having played in the final last year. A losing final but a final nonetheless and he's closer to another one after this win.
The match was good, pretty good from the Russian as he generally demonstrated solid patience against a player that doesn't give you too many chances. Both served well and almost racked up double-digit aces but Medvedev beat him in that regard 9-7.
The match didn't see either player miss too much as the serve was working but the Russian was still able to create some signature passing shots that were crucial in taking the match. A strong 19-winner 9-ace performance from the world number 3, winning 6-4, 6-3.
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