Medvedev makes hot start on cold Indian Wells night

Two-time finalist Daniil Medvedev got off to a hot start on a chilly Friday night in Indian Wells to race into the third round of the BNP Paribas Open with a 6-2, 6-2 win over China's Buyunchaokete.

Playing in black legwarmers below his match shorts and an extra long-sleeve layer below his shirt, Medvedev opened early leads in both sets and did all he could to return to the warmth of the locker room with minimal delay.

"The first set was tough but I found a way to get through and played better and better and played a great match," Medvedev said.

After back-to-back final losses to Carlos Alcaraz the past two years in Tennis Paradise, Medvedev will hope this is the year that he joins Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer as the only players to claim titles at all six current ATP Masters 1000 hard court events.

With his 200th hard-court win since 2020, Medvedev leads all players for most wins on the surface this decade.

Hard-court Leaders Since 2020

Medvedev collected his 300th hard-court win last week in Dubai, but almost two years have passed since he last won a hard-court title (Miami, 2023). His last title on any surface came in Rome in 2023.

Medvedev, who hit 23 winners to Buyunchaokete's nine, will next meet 31st seed Alex Michelsen in a first-time Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting.