Daniil Medvedev’s US Open preparations suffered a setback as he crashed out in the opening round of the National Bank Open in Canada. The former US Open champion, seeded third, fell to 42nd-ranked Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-4, 1-6, 6-2.
Davidovich Fokina, who had never beaten Medvedev before, entered the match with a 0-4 record against the Russian. However, he had defeated Medvedev’s doubles partner, Roman Safiullin, in Montreal.
The Spaniard, who missed Wimbledon due to a back injury, has been in impressive form this summer, reaching the quarterfinals in Atlanta and the round of 16 in Washington, D.C.
Medvedev’s defeat was part of a surprising trend in the tournament, with all four seeds in Davidovich Fokina’s quarter of the draw being eliminated in the round of 32. Stefanos Tsitsipas, Ugo Humbert, and Karen Khachanov also suffered early exits.
Davidovich Fokina will now face Matteo Arnaldi in the second round, with a potential semifinal berth on the line.
Medvedev, meanwhile, will continue playing in doubles with Safiullin. The pair advanced to the quarterfinals after winning a 10-point match tiebreaker. Medvedev will then turn his attention to the next Masters 1000 tournament in Cincinnati.
Another prominent player, Tommy Paul, also suffered a first-round defeat, losing to Brandon Nakashima 6-2, 6-7 (5), 6-1.
However, top seeds Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev, Andrey Rublev, and Grigor Dimitrov all advanced in straight sets. Sinner, who withdrew from the Olympic Games due to tonsillitis, defeated Borna Coric 6-2, 6-4.
In the women’s draw in Toronto, top seed Coco Gauff defeated Yafan Wang 6-4, 6-4. The American was joined in victory by compatriots Emma Navarro, Taylor Townsend, and Peyton Stearns.
