Drama-free Medvedev eases into US Open second round

NEW YORK, Aug 30 : Former champion Daniil Medvedev made light work of France's Hugo Gaston 6-4 6-2 6-4 on Sunday, exorcising the demons of his ill-fated campaign a year ago with an aggressive performance at Arthur Ashe Stadium.A frequent - and gleeful - villain at the tournament he won in 2021, Medvedev crashed out in the opening round in 2025 but was all business this time around with 34 winners against just 11 from his opponent. "You need to play your game - I knew he was going to do some drop shots, some underarm serves," said Medvedev. "I needed to make some winners, put some pressure on him."Gaston's creative shotmaking had little impact on the nimble-footed, six-foot six-inch Medvedev, and the Frenchman did himself no favours as he handed his opponent the break with a misplaced backh