Medvedev happy with 'high level of tennis' as he advances at US Open

[p]The seventh-seeded Russian needed two hours and 14 minutes to ease past French qualifier [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gaston-hugo/hGqnSub7/"]Hugo Gaston[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/gaston-h-hGqnSub7/medvedev-d-O8qG0Nhb/?mid=0jEk5lIE"]6-4, 6-2, 6-4[/a] and pronounced himself pleased with his progress since a first-round loss to Martin Damm in Winston-Salem last week.[/p][p]During that match, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/medvedev-daniil/O8qG0Nhb/"]Medvedev[/a] was heard to wonder whether he should drop tennis and take up pickleball - a possibility he was asked about in his on-court interview.[/p][p][b]"Last couple of weeks were not easy, but you know how it is - sometimes you lose matches, sometimes you win,"[/b] he said.[b] "I'm happy that today I managed to produce a high level of tennis.[/b][/p][p][b]"I felt like I did everything I wanted to do well. I finished the match strong. I started the match strong. I'm really glad the way I played."[/b][/p][image alt="Medvedev-Gaston matchup stats" id="086c3a5e-a757-459d-8f87-d9824c35e92d" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="24866b4c-6e43-494b-96dd-a7bb18f42a9e" original-width="2160" original-height="3840" /][p]It was a far cry from last year's US Open, when Medvedev lost his cool in a first-round loss to France's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bonzi-benjamin/M5OpGHqH/"]Benjamin Bonzi[/a], erupting in the third set when a photographer's mistaken foray onto the court prompted chair umpire Greg Allensworth to award Bonzi a first serve.[/p][p]Medvedev complained bitterly, urging the crowd to back him, and after finally falling in five sets, he violently smashed his racquet.[/p][p]The outburst earned him a $42,500 fine, and Medvedev subsequently split with his coach.[/p][embed guid="d0818a02-bb0d-4dad-8295-a1720e1ac7c2" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlmirwPBRGU&pp=ygUPZGFuaWlsIG1lZHZlZGV20gcJCRMMAYcqIYzv" social-type="youtube" /][infobox id="3dc51b3a-107f-482b-9173-a97d347ef1b3" /]