After undergoing a necessary surgery last year, Daniil Medvedev dropped out of the Top 10 in 2023 and he seeks return back.
The 27-year-old, who was the highest-ranked man on the ATP Tour only recently, dropped to 11th place in the ATP Rankings, but he may find himself in the Top 10 again already next week. Medvedev competes at the 2023 Rotterdam Open, and since indoor tournaments suit him well, he's one of the favourites to win.
In the first round, he faced an early test as Alejandro Davidovich Fokina wanted to stun the former world no. 1, but eventually, Medvedev showed his qualities and advanced to the second round.
Fans in the Rotterdam Ahoy Arena saw five breaks in the first set, something they surely didn't expect in a match, which includes such a good server as Medvedev. However, the 2021 US Open champion struggled on his serve and Davidovich Fokina used his chances to win the first set 6-4.
But soon, Medvedev started his comeback. He improved on the serve in the second set, losing only three points when serving. Moreover, he added two breaks while hitting 14 winners and making only three unforced errors. After only 34 minutes, he won the set 6-2 to level the score of the match.
In the third set, Medvedev struggled on his serve again. He was broken twice and couldn't find the same rhythm as in the second set. However, Davidovich Fokina couldn't avoid making mistakes as he committed 18 unforced errors, compared to only one of Medvedev.
The Spaniard didn't hold his serve once in the third set and so Medvedev could celebrate his victory after an hour and 57 minutes, winning the match 4-6, 6-2, 6-2. Up next, the sixth-seed will await Quentin Halys or Botic van de Zandschulp.
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