Washington: World number one Daniil Medvedev strolled to victory for his first title of the year at the Los Cabos Open with a 7-5, 6-0 demolition of reigning champion Cameron Norrie on Saturday.
The World No. 1 did not drop a set all week at the Mexican ATP 250 event to earn his 14th tour-level trophy. It is the 26-year-old’s first triumph since last year’s US Open.
Entering the match, Medvedev was on a five-final losing streak dating back to last year’s Paris Masters. But the top seed did not show any nerves, converting six of his 10 break points to storm to a one-hour, 23-minute win.
The Russian, returning to hard-court tennis in Mexico this week ahead of his US Open title defence, pulled away after an injury timeout late in the first set to comfortably triumph against the 12th-ranked Briton.
Medvedev won every game after the timeout, taken for treatment on a hand issue, after scores were locked at 5-5, with both players having broken serve in the first set.
The third-seeded defending champion had no answers in a lopsided second set which only lasted 26 minutes.
This year’s Australian Open runner-up, playing in his fourth final of the season, sent down 5-0 aces and converted six of 10 break points for the match to secure his 14th career title. He was exceptional on serve, with a 67 per cent first-serve win percentage.
The triumph capped an excellent week for Medvedev, who did not drop a set across five wins.
“Every match was very good, but the final match is always special,” Medvedev said on court after the match. “It’s always a high-level match and I’m really happy I managed to show some good levels and play some good shots.”
–IANS