NEW YORK (Reuters) – Daniil Medvedev charged into the U.S. Open third round with a 6-3 6-2 6-4 demolition of Australian battler Christopher O’Connell on Thursday.
The Russian third seed, beaten by Rafa Nadal in last year’s classic final, broke 116th-ranked O’Connell four times while giving him nothing on serve under a closed roof at Louis Armstrong Stadium.
O’Connell, who cleaned boats in Sydney to make ends meet while injuries hampered his tennis aspirations, took a lengthy medical time-out to have a trainer work on an apparent back strain at 4-1 in the second set.
The 26-year-old dug in admirably in the final set, prising his only two break points from the Russian, but Medvedev saved them and sealed the match with a big serve.
Medvedev next faces young American J.J. Wolf for a place in the last 16.
(Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)
