Medvedev shook off a poor hard-court stretch with a straight-sets demolition of Hugo Gaston to open his US Open campaign. The Russian looked sharp on Sunday, dispatching his opponent without breaking a sweat in their first-round matchup.
This win matters for one reason. Medvedev's form coming into the Open had been shaky. He struggled through the warm-up tournaments on hard courts, raising questions about whether he could get right before the year's final Grand Slam. Gaston posed no real threat, but Medvedev didn't need him to. Against an out-matched opponent, the Russian's serve and movement looked comfortable again.
Medvedev will face stiffer tests as the draw deepens, but this dominant first-round performance signals he's found his rhythm at exactly the right time. The draw thins quickly at Flushing Meadows. First-round statements like this one usually mean something.