"Russian tennis is on the rise right now" - Medvedev projects national pride after win in Miami

Following his easy second round win at the Miami Open, top seed Daniil Medvedev is aiming to add more silverware to his trophy cabinet as the 2021 ATP season kicks off.

The Russian defeated Yen-Hsun Lu 6-2 6-2 in his Miami opener, increasing his win tally for the year to 15 victories. He trails compatriot Andrey Rublev, who leads the ATP Tour with 16 match wins for the season.

"I think it's great for both of us that we are doing so good,” said Medvedev after the match. “Russian tennis is definitely on the rise right now, and I like it. We want people to talk more about tennis in Russia. That's what's happening right now. We want TV channels to show more tennis in Russia. That's one of the goals."

The reigning Nitto ATP Finals champion led Team Russia to victory at the ATP Cup in February, and won his 10th ATP a few weeks later in Marseille.

“When you start to be good, you want to promote your sport in your country," Medvedev added. "I'm really happy that I have a lot of wins this year.”

The World No.2 will face Alexei Popyrin in the third round, as the Aussie cut down American giant Reilly Opelka in his second round match.

“Popyrin is a really great player,” said Medvedev. “I practiced with him a lot during pre-season and I know that he can play some great tennis, so it will be a tough match.”

Click here for live scores and results from the Miami Open.