Australian star Nick Kyrgios opened his Australian Open campaign with an emphatic win in the first round. Thus, after a breezy 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 win, Kyrgios has now set up a second-round match with title favorite Daniil Medvedev.

Obviously, with reigning Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic now out, Medvedev is currently leading the running for the title. In fact, this could potentially be his second Grand Slam win, consecutively after his win at the US Open.

Talking about his second-round bout with the Aussie star, here’s what Daniil Medvedev said.

Daniil Medvedev ticks all the boxes for Nick Kyrgios

Speaking at an Australian Open press conference, Medvedev shared his thoughts about his next opponent Kyrgios. “He’s definitely a character,” Medvedev began.

Then, Daniil Medvedev echoed much of the tennis community’s sentiments when he stated “there are some things I adore in what he does, and some things I don’t like”. However, he refrained from sharing exactly what it is about Nick Kyrgios that he dislikes.

“He’s kind of going too extreme almost all the time he’s on court,” Medvedev said while smiling. “That’s why people love to watch him,” he said. It was quite apparent, too, as the Australian Open crowd was extremely participatory with Kyrgios on the court today.

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In fact, Medvedev even acknowledged how many across the world do not like Kyrgios yet still continue to engage with his matches. “Even if they hate him (Kyrgios), they love to watch him,” he said. “That’s his strength.”

Furthermore, talking about his attitude towards his World No. 114 opponent, Medvedev sure had some praise. “I think he’s a great guy out of the court,” the US Open champion stated. On the other hand, he’s a little torn about Kyrgios when it comes to the tennis court.

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“On court, some things I like, some things I don’t. But yeah, I can say this probably about many players on tour,” Medvedev stated while chuckling. Clearly, both players are excited about their upcoming bout, as Kyrgios, too, had quite the praises lined up for Medvedev ahead of their clash.

Kyrgios and Medvedev head-to-head record

Nick Kyrgios and Daniil Medvedev have only ever met twice on the tour. The two battled it out twice in the same year, in 2019, in Rome and Washington. Both times, Kyrgios emerged the winner over the Russian.

 Additionally, Kyrgios is known to prefer the John Cain Arena a lot. In fact, he even puts in requests to play at the Arena for the beginning of the tournament. However, after the initial few rounds, most of the Australian Open matches take place in the Rod Laver Arena. “We’re going to be playing on Rod Laver, let’s be honest,” Kyrgios said about the upcoming match’s venue.

Naturally, the top-seeded player in the Grand Slam would have his second-round bout in the latter. Nevertheless, Kyrgios imagined the round 2 match against Daniil Medvedev in the John Cain Arena.

Moreover, he likes the John Cain Arena so much that he even gave it a nickname. “I’m just going to call it the Kyrgios Court,” Nick joked. Then, he stated that playing Medvedev in the John Cain Arena “would be fun”.

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Who do you think will emerge victorious? Is the Australian crowd in for a shock upset if their hero at home wins against the Russian champion?