Daniel Medvedev, number two in the world, started his career at Roland Garros on Tuesday with a good start –a tournament that turned out to be negative for him- by beating Argentine Facundo Bagnis (103 in the world) in three sets (6-2, 6-2 and 6-2) in the first round in an hour and 38 minutes.
Medvedev will face Serbian Laslo Djere in the second round, who defeated Lithuanian Ricardas Berankis 6-4, 6-4, 6-4.
In his sixth involvement on clay at Roland Garros, the Russian manages to qualify for at least a second round for the second time.. Last year he reached the quarterfinals, where he lost to Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas, while in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 he lost in the first round.
With Suzanne Lenglen, the second biggest track in the competition, Medvedev did not find too many obstacles against a physically exhausted Bagnis that he has not reached the second round he has earned in his past four appearances.
When undergoing hernia surgery in April, Medvedev, the 2021 US Open winner, said he was “100% physically”.
“I loved Roland Garros especially last year“, laughed the tennis player, who recalled that in editions before 2021 he went home the first week.
“The US Open (which he won in 2021) feels a bit far, it gives me a lot of confidence to be able to play tournaments like this and I now want to go as far as possible at Roland Garros, more than (in the quarterfinals) last year“, he points out.
Before an audience more in favor of Bagnis, Medvedev was asked about the psychological control of his fights.
“It’s true that I’ve always been nervous, but it’s true that the situation is not the same as it was five years ago. and even less when he was a junior player, “he recalled.
For his part, Bagnis admitted that he played poorly because of his problems — he was wearing a bandage on his left calf — but he clarified that he did not want to leave the farm because “he was with his family”.
“When you’re on the pitch like this you feel powerless, in the first games it went well, but then I saw that I couldn’t (…) I didn’t want to leave the pitch, it was special, the my family is on the stand ”, said the 32-year-old Argentine.
Bagnis reported that he felt discomfort with the soleus pulling for several weeks before it jumped off the court. “But someone doesn’t want to miss a Roland Garros, and less against a rival like today,” he added.
Source: La Verdad
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
