The defending champion at the Western and Southern Open, Daniil Medvedev lost out to Roberto Bautista Agut in the quarterfinals yesterday. It was a disappointing loss in which the Russian had an immense advantage after the first set. But Roberto made a great comeback and took the match from Medvedev.

Until the quarters, Medvedev looked great and in top form. Since tennis has been on a break for six months, players were bound to be rusty but Medvedev was near perfect until he faced Roberto.

“I’m quite happy with my level of tennis” – Daniil Medvedev

Medvedev didn’t look too creative and couldn’t hold his own against Roberto. Despite the loss, Medvedev seemed reasonably happy with his performance and isn’t worried about the US Open. Medvedev was expecting a much worse performance from himself. In light of this, he felt that the performance he has put up so far is enough for him to do well at the Grand Slam.

“If I show the tennis that I showed here, I think I have good chances to make a good tournament,” said Medvedev, optimistic about the US Open. “I’m quite happy with my level of tennis. I honestly thought it would be worse, so that’s the good part.” 

Stars like Dominic Thiem lost in their first match once the season resumed. Considering this, it is understandable that players have kept their expectations low. Although many expected Medvedev to defend his Cincinnati Open title against Novak Djokovic, Medvedev is now setting his eyes on the US Open.

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Read More: “It’s Kind Of Cat And Mouse”: Novak Djokovic Speaks on Daniil Medvedev’s Game

Medvedev reached the finals of the US Open last year and narrowly lost to Rafael Nadal. This year, with a better seeding and no Rafael Nadal or Roger Federer, Medvedev is expected to challenge Djokovic for the title.

The current season has shown us some surprising results. With the Western & Southern Open being so unpredictable, a lot more can be expected from the US Open. With faster courts and uncertain first weeks, we might see a new Grand Slam champion.