Fourth seed Daniil Medvedev advanced by walkover to the round of 16 in Miami, following World No. 56 Alex Molcan’s withdrawal from their third-round matchup due to a right hip injury.
The 2023 BNP Paribas Open runner-up and Marian Vajda’s pupil were supposed to face one another for the first time on Tour at the Hard Rock Stadium on Monday.
Instead, the former world number one has moved into the fourth round; now he awaits to meet his next opponent, which will surge from the match between Frenchman Quentin Halys and American Mackenzie McDonald.
Medvedev launched his campaign at the Miami Open presented by Itau, sailing past Spaniard Roberto Carballes Baena in straight sets Saturday.
Seeking to reach the final at the second Masters 1000 of the season for the first time in his career, the World No. 5 has set off 2023, displaying clinical performances to capture three consecutive ATP titles in as many weeks.
In the lead-up to the first major of the season in Australia, the 27-year-old played at the ATP 250 tournament, Adelaide International 1, advancing to the championship match - lost to the top seed Novak Djokovic in straight sets.
By mid-January, 29th seed Sebastian Korda shocked the 2021 U.S. Open champion in three sets, exiting in the third round at the Australian Open.
In February, the Moscow native regained confidence in his game, grabbing the title in Rotterdam - beating Italian Jannik Sinner in the final - the first of the three trophies he would lift throughout three consecutive weeks.
Continuing his winning streak, he triumphed in Doha by edging Andy Murray. In Dubai, he made it through the final without dropping a set across the ATP 500 event to overpower countryman Andrey Rublev in the championship match.
On his way to glory, Medvedev ended Djokovic’s unbeaten run with a 6-4, 6-4 victory in the semifinals.
In March, he headed to the BNP Paribas Open held in Indian Wells off the back of a 14-match winning streak, which he would extend to 19 matches throughout his run to the final in Tennis Paradise, falling to eventual champion and top seed Carlos Alcaraz who dominated the 18-time ATP titlist to earn a 6-3, 6-3 triumph.
In his bid to earn a maiden title in Miami, there are chances he could meet the defending champion, Alcaraz, on Sunday’s grand finale.