Medvedev battles through Shanghai opener in first match since disqualification

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/medvedev-daniil/O8qG0Nhb/"]Medvedev[/a] was defaulted from his semi-final against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/djokovic-novak/AZg49Et9/"]Novak Djokovic[/a] in Beijing for hitting a spectator with a ball and ended the 500-level event with zero ranking points and no prize money.[/p][p]The former world number one said it was an accident.[/p][p][b]Playing five days later in Shanghai, sixth-ranked Medvedev [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/medvedev-d-O8qG0Nhb/struff-j-l-Ek3bDDo2/?mid=jsY3lAwe"]overcame an early wobble[/a] to hold off 59th-ranked [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/struff-jan-lennard/Ek3bDDo2/"]Struff[/a].[/b][/p][p]He sent down 21 aces to advance.[/p][embed guid="84157a39-8e41-4ab2-9eb6-c674a8841b01" url="https://x.com/TennisTV/status/2108809146891899017/video/1" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]"When I broke him I felt like I could win it," [/b]the 30-year-old Medvedev said of a dominant third set in which he despatched a masterful backhand volley during the sixth game that helped him go up 4-2.[/p][p]The court was "different from Beijing", he told an on-court interviewer, adding "it was a bit tough to get used to".[/p][p]He faces either Czech qualifier [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/svrcina-dalibor/vDue624T/"]Dalibor Svrcina[/a] or [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/etcheverry-tomas-martin/AXL5qpKa/"]Tomas Martin Etcheverry[/a] of Argentina in the next round.[/p]