Medvedev eases past Monfils in confident Beijing start

After last year coming within touching distance of the trophy at the China Open, will 2024 be the year when Daniil Medvedev gets over the line in Beijing?

The third seed made an encouraging start to his campaign on Friday at the ATP 500 event, where he downed Gael Monfils 6-3, 6-4 to reach the second round. Medvedev stayed rock solid throughout the match to notch a 92-minute triumph and bounce back quickly from defeats to Frances Tiafoe and Ben Shelton last week at the Laver Cup.

Locked and loaded ?

2023 runner-up @DaniilMedwed outwits Gael Monfils 6-3 6-4 to reach the second round in Beijing.
@ChinaOpen | #ChinaOpen pic.twitter.com/y0tjBAmUn3

Monfils’ victory bid was undermined by his inability to match Medvedev’s consistency in the Chinese capital. The Frenchman offered 46 unforced errors to just 22 from Medvedev, who converted five of 10 break points he earned, according to Infosys ATP Stats.

“I think the gameplan didn’t change too much [throughout the match],” said Medvedev, who fell to Jannik Sinner in the 2023 final and will play Adrian Mannarino in this year's second round. “In a way, we both only really like to attack. I guess me maybe a bit more than him, but I think for him it is tough to attack. He defends very well. You have to be a really good attacker, like one of the best, or you need to wait for the opportunity.

“So that’s what I tried to do. Wait for my opportunity. I think I had more chances, so I think I deserved to win.”

By defeating Monfils, Medvedev hit 40 tour-level wins for the season. It is the sixth time that the 28-year-old has hit that tally in his career, and his latest victory also bolstered his Nitto ATP Finals qualification chances. Medvedev remains fourth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, 580 points clear of fifth-placed Taylor Fritz.

“Honestly the wins are, in a way, not important, because it depends how many tournaments you play, but it’s still good to win a lot of matches,” said Medvedev. “So I’m happy that I’ve managed to continue winning matches. I still have some tournaments to go, so I have the chance to bring the tally even higher. I try to be consistent throughout the year. Sometimes I’m more consistent, sometimes less, but that’s what I’m trying to do.”

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