Daniil Medvedev started his participation in the ATP 500 tournament in Vienna with a win. The Russian seeded No. 3 defeated Spaniard Daniel Merida-Aguilar 7:6 (7:5), 6:1 and qualified for the second round.
The first part was equal and the winner had to be determined after a tiebreak. Medvedev won it 7:5, and in the second set he took control of the match and gave only one game to his opponent. Merida-Aguilar occupies the 42nd place in the world rankings, while Medvedev is fifth.
For a place in the quarterfinals, Medvedev will play Cameron Norrie. The Briton, ranked 41st, has already beaten Francisco Cerundolo in the first round. Medvedev has won five of his six matches against Nori.
The Russian arrived in Vienna after winning the title in Almaty. There he won the tournament for the second consecutive season, defending the trophy for the first time in his career. Thus, Medvedev continued his late-season streak in which he is trying to accumulate points for the ATP Finals.