US Open: Clinical Medvedev sees off Marozsan in straight sets

Russian Daniil Medvedev, the No 5 seed, beat Hungarian Fabian Marozsan 6-3, 6-2, 7-6 (5) to advance to the third round of the US Open in New York on Thursday night.

It was a dicey performance from Medvedev on serve, with big names continuing to struggle with their serves in New York. The Russian landed just 47 percent of his first serves, double faulting 10 times.

However, what he lacked in serving effectiveness, he made up for in return and – surprisingly – net play.

Medvedev won almost half of his return points, plundering an impressive 25 of 35 points on Marozsan’s second serve. He also uncharacteristically approached the net 29 times across the three sets, winning 17 points in a move that bodes well for later rounds, when the fifth seed will need to mix up his game against the likes of Jannik Sinner if they meet in the quarter-finals.

“About the match, I felt like I was in an Italian restaurant,” said Medvedev on-court after his victory. “The food is great. The aftertaste is great. But your head is like ‘this.’ It was so moist so all the match I was like ‘Try to focus try to focus.’ It was a fun feeling.”

Medvedev, ranked No 5, will face Italian Flavio Cobolli, the No 31 seed, next.

Ahead of his victory, the Russian won against Serb Dusan Lajovic (6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-1).

Marozsan, ranked No 51, won against Serb qualifier Hamad Medjedovic (2-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4) in the previous round of the US Open.

New York (Grand Slam), other second-round results (USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, hard, USD 75.000.000, most recent results first):

• Carlos Alcaraz vs. Botic van de Zandschulp
• Tommy Paul (14) beat Max Purcell: 7-5, 6-0, 1-0 ret.
• Daniel Evans beat Mariano Navone: 6-4, 6-3, 6-3
• Jakub Mensik beat Tristan Schoolkate (WC): 6-7 (4), 2-6, 6-2, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (3)
• Gabriel Diallo (Q) beat Arthur Fils (24): 7-5, 6-7 (3), 6-4, 6-4
• Alex De Minaur (10) beat Otto Virtanen (Q): 7-5, 6-1, 7-6 (3)
• Flavio Cobolli beat Zizou Bergs: 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, 6-3
• Jack Draper (25) beat Facundo Diaz Acosta: 6-4, 6-2, 6-2
• David Goffin beat Adrian Mannarino: 6-7 (8), 6-3, 6-2, 7-6 (1)
• Nuno Borges beat Thanasi Kokkinakis: 6-4, 7-5, 7-5
• Jannik Sinner (1) beat Alex Michelsen: 6-4, 6-0, 6-2
• Jordan Thompson beat Hubert Hurkacz (7): 7-6 (2), 6-1, 7-5
• Matteo Arnaldi (30) beat Roman Safiullin: 6-2, 6-4, 6-4
• Tomas Machac beat Sebastian Korda (16): 6-4, 6-2, 6-4
• Christopher O’Connell beat Mattia Bellucci (Q): 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3
• Novak Djokovic (2) beat Laslo Djere: 6-4, 6-4, 2-0 ret.
• Taylor Fritz (12) beat Matteo Berrettini: 6-3, 7-6 (1), 6-1
• Casper Ruud (8) beat Gael Monfils: 6-4, 6-2, 2-6, 7-6 (3)
• Lorenzo Musetti (18) beat Miomir Kecmanovic: 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 7-5
• Ben Shelton (13) beat Roberto Bautista Agut: 6-3, 6-4, 6-4
• Alexei Popyrin (28) beat Pedro Martinez Portero: 6-2, 6-4, 6-0
• Juncheng Shang beat Roberto Carballes Baena: 6-2, 6-3, 7-6 (2)
• Francisco Comesana beat Ugo Humbert (17): 5-7, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4
• Andrey Rublev (6) beat Arthur Rinderknech: 4-6, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2
• Frances Tiafoe (20) beat Alexander Shevchenko: 6-4, 6-1, 1-0 ret.
• Alexander Zverev (4) beat Alexandre Muller (WC): 6-4, 7-6 (5), 6-1
• Brandon Nakashima beat Arthur Cazaux: 6-4, 6-4, 6-2
• Tallon Griekspoor beat Sebastian Baez (21): 6-1, 2-0 ret.
• Grigor Dimitrov (9) beat Rinky Hijikata: 6-1, 6-1, 7-6 (4)
• Jiri Lehecka (32) beat Mitchell Krueger (Q): 6-7 (5), 0-6, 6-4, 6-4, 7-5
• Tomas Martin Etcheverry beat Francisco Cerundolo (29): 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 1-6, 6-3