New York – In a commanding performance at Arthur Ashe Stadium, seventh‑seed Daniil Medvedev eased past French qualifier Hugo Gaston in straight sets, 6-4, 6-2, 6-4, to secure his place in the US Open second round.
Medvedev, who captured the title in 2021, entered the tournament with a point to prove after an opening‑round loss in 2025. He unleashed 34 winners while limiting Gaston to just 11, demonstrating the aggressive baseline game that has become his hallmark.
Key moments
Medvedev said, “You need to play your game – I knew he was going to do some drop shots, some underarm serves. I needed to make some winners, put some pressure on him.” The Russian’s height and reach (six‑foot‑six‑inches) allowed him to neutralize Gaston’s creative shot‑making, including a mis‑timed backhand that handed Medvedev a break in the seventh game.
After breaking early in the second set, Medvedev maintained momentum, hitting a superbly placed backhand on break point in the seventh game. He later converted another break‑point chance in the opening game of the third set with a forehand winner, then closed the match with an unreturnable serve.
Looking ahead
Medvedev’s next opponent will be the winner of the wildcard match between American teenager Sebastian Gorzny and Belgium’s Raphael Collignon, scheduled later on Sunday.
Only days after publicly considering a switch to pickleball following his 2025 US Open defeat, Medvedev’s decisive victory signals a renewed focus on Grand Slam success.
Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
