DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Daniil Medvedev opened his title defense at the Dubai Championships on Tuesday by beating Alexander Shevchenko 6-3, 7-5 in his first match since losing the Australian Open final to Jannik Sinner.
The top-seeded Medvedev had withdrawn from tournaments in Doha and Rotterdam because of fatigue and a right foot problem following his loss to Sinner at Melbourne Park.
Trailing 5-3 in the second set, Medvedev won four straight games to clinch the win. He will face Lorenzo Sonego in the second round of the hard-court tournament.
"In general, to be honest, (I'm) happy with my level because it's not easy to come back after an injury," the fourth-ranked Medvedev said in his on-court interview.
Medvedev said he "didn't feel any pain" in defeating the 47th-ranked Shevchenko. After losing to Sinner, Medvedev had taken 10 days off and "started feeling pain here and there" when he returned to practice.