28 March 2022

Daniil Medvedev reaches round four in Miami to stay on track to regain top spot

28 March 2022

Daniil Medvedev took another step towards a return to the top of the world rankings as he saw off Pedro Martinez in straight sets to reach the fourth round of the Miami Open.

The Russian, who will move back up to world number one if he makes the semi-finals of the tournament, overcame Spaniard Martinez 6-3 6-4 in an hour and 24 minutes.

Medvedev dropped only four points on serve in a first set that he secured via an eighth-game break. Set two then saw Martinez immediately respond to being broken by replying in kind to make it 2-2, before Medvedev broke again in the seventh and saw out the win by producing eight points in a row on serve.

Medvedev will move back up to world number one if he makes the semi-finals of the Miami Open (Wilfredo Lee/AP) (AP)

Top seed Medvedev told Amazon Prime: “I think in general I played not so bad.

“Really slow courts here so playing against a Spanish (opponent) is not easy. I felt like we had a lot of rallies where he was bringing the pace down and I couldn’t really do much.

“So I tried to serve well, to keep consistent, and I managed to do less errors in important points, and I think that was the key today.”

Medvedev’s opponent in the next round is American Jenson Brooksby, who beat Spain’s 15th seed Roberto Bautista Agut 6-3 5-7 6-4.

Defending champion Hubert Hurkacz made it through with a 7-5 4-6 6-3 victory over Aslan Karatsev.

Naomi Osaka advanced into the quarter-finals of the WTA event as she defeated Alison Riske.

Japan’s four-time grand slam winner triumphed 6-3 6-4 and will now face Riske’s fellow American Danielle Collins, a 6-2 6-4 victor over Ons Jabeur.

Osaka, who was reduced to tears after being heckled during her second-round defeat by Veronika Kudermetova in Indian Wells earlier this month, said in her on-court interview: “It’s really funny for me because last year I made it to the quarters too, but it was after I won Australia (the Australian Open) and I wasn’t that grateful, I kind of expected to win.

“But I’m in the same position this year and this is really like one of the most fun times in my life, so I’m really grateful. I want to say, ‘Thank you everyone (in the crowd) for coming out’.”

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