NEW YORK, (Reuters) – Russian Daniil Medvedev ripped through third-round opponent Pablo Andujar 6-0 6-4 6-3 yesterday, his third win in under two hours at this year’s U.S. Open.
The world number two held the unseeded Spaniard to five points in the first set, putting up just three unforced errors in a stretch of superb play in his bid for a maiden major title two years after he lost in the final to Rafa Nadal.
The Russian has yet to drop a set at Flushing Meadows this year and showed scarce few moments of vulnerability yesterday. He recovered from a double fault in the 10th game of the second set with a pair of aces and fired off 34 winners to Andujar’s 16 across the entire match.
Andujar converted one of four break point opportunities late in the third set to wild applause from the fans inside Louis Armstrong Stadium. However, it was two little too late as the Australian Open finalist fired back with a break of his own to clinch the match.
“The main positive is to win in three sets because Pablo was fighting good,” said Medvedev, who clinched his fourth Masters 1000 title last month in Toronto. “I was playing good and (I’m) really happy with my level.”
He faces a potential challenge in the fourth round from 24th-seeded Briton Dan Evans, who beat world number one Novak Djokovic in Monte Carlo in April and whom Medvedev described as “very smart”.
“He doesn’t have one shot that is a weapon, and yet he’s a top player for many years already,” Medvedev told reporters. “The way he chooses the right moment to go to the net, to slice, to make a dropshot. I mean, his serve is not huge, but it’s tough to return. Great player.”