Medvedev resumes quest for No.1 ranking with win over Paire in Acapulco

In his first match since a heartbreaking defeat at the Australian Open final, Daniil Medvedev cruised past Benoit Paire in the opening round of the Abierto Mexicano Acapulco.

The top seed required an hour and 42 minutes to pull off the 6-3 6-4 victory, rallying from a break down in the second set to advance and keep his title hopes alive. Furthermore, if the Russian lifts the title in Acapulco, then he is guaranteed to Novak Djokovic as the new World No.1, regardless of the Serbian's result this week in Dubai.

Medvedev displayed a consistent performance that saw him outlast his French opponent, although he did show signs of frustration after going down a break in the second set. Nonetheless, the reigning US Open champion was able to capitalize on Paire's dip in form, allowing him to recover from a 2-4 deficit to win the next four games and close out the match.

The World No.2 will next play the winner between Spanish veteran Pablo Andujar and Mexican wild card Alex Hernandez.