Daniil Medvedev is 1-0 as World No. 1. After taking over the top spot in the ATP Rankings on 28 February, the 26-year-old lived up to the billing with a dominant start at the BNP Paribas Open on Saturday.
Facing qualifier Tomas Machac of the Czech Republic, Medvedev advanced to the third round with a 6-3, 6-2 victory on Stadium 1 in Indian Wells. After saving a break point in the first game of the match, he settled in for a dominant victory over a 21-year-old opponent who was seeking his first Top 10 win.
Once he navigated that opening game, Medvedev dropped just eight points on serve in the rest of the one-hour, 11-minute match.
From 2-2 in the opening set, Medvedev locked in and began to turn the screws with his baseline game, controlling the rallies and giving Machac very few errors. After taking four of the last five games in the first set, he scored an instant break in the second to drive home the advantage.
He never looked back as he sealed a stress-free victory to kickstart his desert campaign. Medvedev’s best Indian Wells result came in October when he reached the Round of 16 before losing a three-setter to Grigor Dimitrov.
The top seed will face 26th seed Gael Monfils or Serbia’s Filip Krajinovic in in the third round on Monday.