New York (AFP)

Two first laps passed with a bang, a physical and a game to the point: the Russian Daniil Medvedev, stormy but magnificent finalist last year against Rafael Nadal, appears, silently this time, as one of the main rivals of Novak Djokovic at the US Open.

In the absence of Nadal, who preferred to stay in Europe because of the pandemic, and Roger Federer, who had knee surgery, the 5th in the world is one, notably with the Austrian Dominic Thiem (3rd), of the few who may upset the Serbian in his quest for an 18th Grand Slam title.

This new status, inherited from its ranking but obviously also from its formidable career last year, does not disturb it.

"Before, if I lost in the first or second round of a Grand Slam, nobody paid attention, let's be honest. There, that changes a bit, but I do not think about it", he assured Thursday after his victory over Australia's Christopher O'Connell.

48 hours earlier, he had been just as quick to dismiss Argentinian Federico Delbonis, confident after the fact "to take things always the same way".

"I'm not watching the final, I'm only preparing for the next opponent. Especially this year ... It's hard to know where we are after six months without tennis."

His next opponent will be the young American JJ Wolf, Saturday for a place in 8th.

- Hot summer 2019 -

He came back to school last week at the Masters 1000 in Cincinnati, where he held the title.

He was eliminated in the quarterfinals by Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut.

“I lost after a good fight. But my tennis was there, and it gave me some confidence going into the US Open,” he said.

Last year, after a hot American summer (also a finalist in Washington and at the Masters 1000 in Montreal), it was the noise and the fury that accompanied his epic in Flushing Meadows.

The New York public, who need little to raise the decibels, first discovered this lanky young man (1.98 m), who was however in his third participation, in his bad boy version.

During the third round against the Spaniard Feliciano Lopez, he had collected boos and whistles for his angry behavior towards a ball collector.

Medvedev, who did not want the towel held out by the boy, snatched it from his hands and threw it in his face.

At the time of Covid-19, this kind of incident - which could hardly happen, only players touching their towels -, would probably be worth an exclusion from the tournament.

Last year, the referee gave him a warning and Medvedev then threw his racquet towards his chair, before punctuating his streak with an obscene gesture, seen by spectators on the big screen.

Afterwards, he had assured that the whistles had given him the energy to win and had to pay a $ 9,000 fine.

- Tested daily -

Four games later, he finally managed to put the public in his pocket.

Thanks to his tennis and his fighting spirit, after almost five hours of an anthology fight.

"I made mistakes. But I am like that. And, by fighting, by playing well, by being funny maybe too, by remaining myself, people ended up applauding me", a- he said recently, recalling "an incredible game, against Rafa in top form".

This time, in his quest for a first major title, he will have neither Nadal to beat, nor an audience to irritate or fill, the tournament taking place behind closed doors in the fragile bubble of Flushing Meadows, which earned him to be tested daily for coronavirus, for having been in contact with Benoît Paire, excluded after his positive test.

While Medvedev will not be able to feed on the energy of the crowd to outdo himself, the deafening silence is nothing compared to the possible obstacle that Djokovic would pose, who is still looking towards the final.

"With him, it's like playing cat and mouse. You have to try to vary the lengths, not just do left-right rallies, because he loves the rhythm", has already analyzed the world No. 1 who remains on two losses in their last three encounters.

© 2020 AFP