Brisbane, Jan 11 (IANS) Russian tennis star Daniil Medvedev made a commanding start to the new season by clinching the Brisbane International title on Sunday, producing a straight-sets victory over Brandon Nakashima. The top seed defeated his American opponent 6-2, 7-6(1) to lift the trophy at the ATP 250 event.

This victory holds special significance for the 29-year-old, marking his 22nd tour-level crown. Daniil Medvedev also holds a unique stat. All 22 of his titles have been won at different tournaments. The win also served as redemption for the former World No. 1, who had previously fallen short in the Brisbane final in 2019.

The championship clash lasted one hour and 34 minutes, characterised by heavy hitting from the baseline. While Medvedev cruised through the opening set, the second proved more complicated. He missed two opportunities to close out the match on his serve at 5-4, allowing Nakashima back into the contest. However, Medvedev quickly reset his focus, dominating the tie-break to secure the win.

Medvedev dedicated the win to his family. He also explained that the long travel distance prevented his family from joining him, meaning he missed a significant personal milestone.

“I want to dedicate this to my family. My daughter had a birthday when I was here, so I dedicate it to her first birthday.”

Medvedev’s form has been on an upward curve since October, when he ended a lengthy title drought in Almaty under the guidance of new coaches Thomas Johansson and Rohan Goetzke. By winning on Sunday, he became the first top seed to claim the Brisbane title since Roger Federer in 2015.

For Nakashima, the defeat ended a strong week in which he had not dropped a set prior to the final. The former Next Gen ATP Finals champion was seeking his second career title but could not overcome Medvedev, who now holds a 3-0 lead in their head-to-head series.

With this triumph, Medvedev has joined Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner as the only active players to possess 20 or more tour-level trophies on the surface.

–IANS

sds/