The entry into the running of Daniil Medvedev in Indian Wells did not really look like a health course for retirees on the goguette side of Palm Springs. Facing a local (Brandon Nakashima was born in California) capable of sending very heavy strikes and in front of a Stadium 1 ready to ignite for the American, the Russian showed how his game was settled and balanced. His solid performance (6-4, 6-3 victory) allowed him to keep everyone calm and it took a successful tweener from Nakashima to ignite the stadium. But Medvedev had already taken off.
The former world No. 1, unbeatable for several weeks (titles in Rotterdam, Doha then Dubai), was fair in his tennis and the only time he left openings – six break points to defend in the second set – Nakashima could not or knew how to take advantage of it. Either the latter was imprecise, or the Russian made his first ball speak or his knowledge of extended exchanges to prevent his opponent from coming back.
He had made the difference, precisely, on rallies from the baseline at the start of the first act. He bent the American on a first XXL exchange, then a second before delivering the coup de grace on a third big showdown just after a double fault on the opponent’s side. White break and an advantage in the score that he never let go of, often making the right choices, like his decisive drop shots on the first set then to get the break at the start of the second. He concluded this duel on opposing service, flying away in the third round against Ilya Ivashka with a small smash.
