Daniil Medvedev of Russia returns a ball during a match against to Benoit Paire of France at the Mexican Open tennis tournament in Acapulco, Mexico, Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2022. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo) Daniil Medvedev took another step toward top spot in the ATP rankings with a dominant 6-1 6-2 second-round victory over Pablo Andujar in the Mexican Open.
The 26-year-old Medvedev, who can replace Novak Djokovic atop the rankings if he wins the title in Acapulco, will play either Taylor Fritz or Yoshihito Nishioka in the quarterfinals.
He needed just over an hour to beat Andujar on Wednesday after defending champion Alexander Zverev was kicked out of the Mexican Open for violently smashing his racket on the umpire’s chair moments after losing a doubles match.
Medvedev beat Djokovic in the US Open final last September to win first major title and, at his next Grand Slam event, reached the final at the Australian Open last month before losing to Rafael Nadal.
The Mexican Open is played on the hard courts of the Arena GNP in Acapulco.
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