Medvedev Advances To US Open Third Round

Former champion Daniil Medvedev has moved into the US Open third round with a straight-sets victory over American wildcard Sebastian Gorzny. The seventh seed won 6-1, 6-3, 7-5 in a match lasting 126 minutes on Armstrong Court.

Medvedev dictated the match, hitting 38 winners against 22 unforced errors. He was particularly dominant on serve, winning 87 percent of his first service points. The Russian was tested in the third set, saving a break point at 6-5 before closing out the match.

Medvedev Assesses His Performance

"I was happy with my level," Medvedev said, according to the Ubitennis report. He felt the first two sets were less competitive but acknowledged a tougher fight later. "The third set was much more competitive, it was a really tough moment, tough points," he stated. Medvedev credited his ability to apply pressure and stay tough for the win.

The victory marks the first time Medvedev has recorded back-to-back wins since Wimbledon. Before the US Open, he lost three out of four matches played at North American hard court events. "Sometimes tennis is a tough sport," he reflected.

An Unusual Avian Interruption

The match featured an unusual incident during the second set. Two birds sat on the net during a lengthy rally. One flew away just as Medvedev hit a forehand that appeared to win the point. The umpire, however, called a let and ordered the point to be replayed.

Medvedev expressed his surprise at the timing of the decision. "I saw them straight away, and I thought the point would stop straight away. But it didn't," he explained. "Then we play for 45 seconds, and the moment I hit the winner, we say, 'Stop.'" He said he was not happy with the call but accepted it, calling the situation "pretty crazy."

Medvedev's US Open Record

With this win, Medvedev has now won 35 main draw matches at the US Open. Among active ATP players, only three have more victories at the tournament.

Medvedev is one of only three former major champions remaining in the men's draw, alongside Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev. His opponent in the next round will be either 26th seed Arthur Rinderknech or Jaume Munar.

His opponent, Sebastian Gorzny, is ranked outside the top 700. The American earned his main draw wildcard by winning the USTA American Collegiate Player Wildcard Playoff. Gorzny had beaten just one top 100 player in his career prior to this tournament, defeating Raphael Collignon in the first round.