US OPEN

September 3, 2020

Daniil Medvedev

Press Conference

D. MEDVEDEV/C. O'Connell

6-3, 6-2, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Could you just assess your performance today.

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Was great. Was great match. Nothing special but really happy to win in three sets.

Didn't lose my serve, which is always important. Managed to break early in the second and third set, and first set was, I think, under control also.

Happy to be through, and let's see what the next rounds will give us.

Q. In your next match you will be playing a young American. Do you know anything about him? Secondly, is it an advantage without the crowd to be playing an American at the US Open?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Yeah, actually, because he's from Cincinnati, so I remember two or three years ago, probably two years ago, I didn't know who he was. And I saw him playing quallies and he lost against somebody quite strong, like 7-6, 7-6. And I was surprised because at this moment he was 800. Well, now he's in the top 100 or close to this and playing great tennis.

So I will be expecting great match. Will try to do my best. And, yeah, play an American in USA without the crowd is advantage, and this is normal.

Q. Can you give your assessment of playing here without the crowd since you're someone who fuels so much from the crowd, good and bad, and just gives tremendous performances off of that energy.

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Yeah, I should say it's sad, especially I played two night session matches, and it's a bit tough because during the day matches, at least there are some people in the crowd, talking about players, especially if you're playing on the Arthur Ashe.

Today we were playing closed roof. It was raining outside. You could feel it. You could hear it. There was only our coaches on the court.

So it's tough. It's sad, but that's how it is in every sport in the world right now, so we just need to wait to get through this.

Right now, I hope the fans around the world are enjoying watching tennis on TV.

Q. And as far as yourself, before this tournament began, considering the makeup of the tournament, the players in the tournament, the lack of fans, how did you see your prospects in this tournament?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: You know, I always take it same way. I take it match by match. So I don't look into the final if I have a first round to play. So I just got ready for my first opponent and for my second. Now going to get ready for the third one.

It's tough also to know where you are after six months of break. Cincinnati I was playing good tennis. Lost in a good fight against Bautista, so I think my tennis was there, and that gave me some confidence before US Open.

Won two matches already here. Let's see how many I can win more.

Q. What effect does it have on you to be one of the players expected to go deep into the tournament instead of an outsider trying to do it for the first time?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: I should say, I think talking about myself, it makes more effect when the tournament is finished in which way, that before if I would lose in the first or second round of a Grand Slam, nobody would even care, let's be honest.

Now, before the tournament, during the tournament, I don't think about it. I don't care about what somebody thinks I should achieve or should not achieve. I'm playing as I can. I do my best. I get ready for every round.

Then of course when I lose or win the tournament, when I play my last match, let's say it like this, that's where I have, of course, higher expectations. And if I lose early that's where I get more disappointed than before.

Q. In a Grand Slam tournament, a two-week tournament, what do you consider the biggest keys to getting to the second week of the tournament?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: The biggest key is consistency, because you are playing out of five-set matches. To even get in the second week you need to usually win three or four, depends when you start your tournament, but let's say four matches if you want to really feel in the second week play in the quarterfinal.

So if you are not consistent, you cannot, because you're going to lose one of these rounds. That's why Grand Slams are tough. You need to win three sets every match.

Of course physically you need to be strong, as well. But I think consistency the key.