Daniil Medvedev effortlessly advanced to the fourth round of the 2023 Miami Open, after his opponent Alex Molcan withdrew from their third-round match due to a right hip injury.
Already off to a strong start, the World No. 5 will look to continue his remarkable form as he vies for a chance to reach yet another ATP Masters 1000 hard court final. In the past, Medvedev reached every ATP 1000 hard court final, except for the one in Miami.
With a first-round bye under his belt, Medvedev showed no signs of rust as he dominated his opening match against Spain's Roberto Carballes Baena, storming to a 6-1, 6-2 victory. The withdrawal of Molcan, a Slovakian player, further lightened Medvedev's path to the fourth round, where he'll face either Frenchman Quentin Halys or American Mackenzie McDonald.
Medvedev's impressive record of 20 wins in his last 21 matches showcases his undeniable qualities on the hard courts. The Russian is projected to encounter 2021 Miami champion Hubert Hurkacz in the quarter-finals and a potential showdown with second seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in the semi-finals.
If Medvedev can overcome these difficult opponents, he may find himself in an Indian Wells final rematch against the current World No. 1, Carlos Alcaraz, who showed no signs of slowing down in his third-round clash.
The Russian will be looking forward to implementing more drop shots into his game, as he joked about it after the second-round win.
"After my match with Carlos I thought I needed to use that shot more. I've always liked drop shots but it's not a weapon in my game that I'm going to use 50 times a match. You need to have confidence in the shot and today it worked pretty well."
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