Qualifier Atmane took the first set, but Medvedev—the runner-up in 2021 and 2022—turned things around in the second set.
Medvedev took the lead in 5-7 When the Frenchman had to withdraw, the score was 6-2 6-4 1-0.
“I’ve had cramps like that a lot. Medvedev, 27, stated, “If he plays like this, he can do big things.”
Melbourne’s weather on the second day of play was hotter than it had been for the previous week, with outside temps hitting 27C and rising even higher under the court’s direct sunlight.
After breaking early in the fourth set, Atmane seemed to pull up with a cramp in the third set and, although he first continued, decided he could not continue.
When the 22-year-old shook hands with Medvedev at the net, his eyes were almost full of tears.
