Daniil Medvedev happy to grind past Serbian Laslo Djere

French Open
Daniil Medvedev in action

Daniil Medvedev defeated Serbian Laslo Djere 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 to reach the third round of the French Open in Paris on Thursday.

Having missed the majority of the European clay-court swing due to a hernia procedure and bowing out in the first round in Geneva last week on his return to the ATP Tour he has produced remarkably consistent performances in his opening two matches in Paris.

Medvedev eliminated Facundo Bagnis in the first round, and was tough to break down throughout the two-hour, 36-minute clash with Djere on Court Philippe Chatrier.

The 26-year-old did a great job of soaking up the Serb’s powerful forehand and scampered about the baseline laying his racket on anything he could reach just to stay in points.

“Today I think to be honest, Laslo was playing the better clay-court tennis,” Medvedev said in his on-court interview. “But I managed to fight and just put one more ball in the court than him and it was a very tough match, but I am happy to win.

“I tried to make him play more balls and he either makes a mistake or a winner and I was not confident [in the third set] as it is only one break and one break is nothing,” Medvedev said. “I just tried to focus and play every point.”

In the wake of his latest win, Medvedev has levelled his head to head series with Djere at 1-1 and will next face yet another Serbian in Miomir Kecmanovic.

The 28th seed Kecmanovic defeated Alexander Bublik 4-6, 7-5, 6-2, 6-1.

Kecmanovic is enjoying a career-best season so-far in terms of match wins having already bagged 25 tour-level victories this season, highlighted by runs to the last eight in both events of the Sunshine Double.

Medvedev meanwhile is still searching for his first title of the season.

He will return to No 1 in the ATP Rankings should he reach the final at Roland Garros.

However, he will not see the fruits of his labour until 13 June, a week after the tournament ends, when ranking points from last year’s edition of the French Open fall away.

Medvedev enjoyed a run to the quarter-finals at the French Open in 2021, which remains his best showing.

Daniil Medvedev

Latest