MY ACCOUNT
Newly-minted world number one Daniil Medvedev said his win was “not as easy” as it appeared after beating Tomas Machac in straight sets at the Indian Wells Masters.
Medvedev beat his Czech opponent 6-3 6-2 in their second round match, his first since being told he cannot compete under the Russian flag following the invasion of Ukraine.
After saving a break point in the opening game, Medvedev settled quickly, breaking-to-love to go up 4-2 and securing the first set without conceding a point in his final two service games.
The 26-year-old effectively put the contest to bed when he broke Machac’s serve in the opening game of the second set, later securing the double-break to sail to the finish line.
Speaking to the post-match media, Medvedev said it was far from a perfect performance, but was glad to come through unscathed.
“I think I was pretty consistent,” he said. “If you look at the first set, it was pretty even. He made a few unforced errors and maybe some bad decisions in the crucial moments – that’s how tennis is sometimes.
“The scoreline might be pretty effective, 6-3 6-2, but if you look at the points and the games, it was not as easy as it seems.
Medvedev will now face either Gael Monfils or Filip Krajinovic on Monday, and added: “It’s always strange here, the conditions.
“You need a lot of time to get used to the conditions, and at the same time it’s a great place to be, so everybody comes one week, or one week and a half before the tournament because of both reasons.
“That’s what I’ve done also, and I feel great, so hopefully I can do better than the previous times.
“I’m happy that I managed to pull through and be the most consistent player.”
