Daniil Medvedev Wins Brisbane International Ahead of Australian Open – Daniil Medvedev has made a strong start to his season by winning the Brisbane International, defeating Brandon Nakashima in straight sets ahead of the Australian Open.
The Russian claimed a 6–2, 7–6 (1) victory in the final, finishing the match in one hour and 34 minutes. It marked Medvedev’s first title at a season-opening tournament since he won in Sydney back in 2018.
Although Medvedev was not at his absolute best, he was still too strong for Nakashima, the former junior world number three. Medvedev raced to a 3–0 lead early in the match, using his powerful first serve to take control as Nakashima struggled to settle.
Nakashima briefly pushed back, earning a break point after finally getting on the scoreboard. However, unforced errors allowed Medvedev to keep his advantage and close out the first set despite a few moments of frustration, including double faults while serving for the set.
Medvedev appeared unusually relaxed throughout the tournament, often showing little reaction to missed shots. Even so, his experience showed when it mattered. Strong serving and well-timed aggression helped him win the first set, while Nakashima failed to capitalise on key chances.
In the second set, Medvedev experimented with his tactics, including the use of drop shots, as he looked ahead to the Australian Open in Melbourne. Despite this, he broke Nakashima’s serve midway through the set to take control.
Nakashima refused to give up and pushed hard when Medvedev served for the match, earning break points and lifting the crowd’s energy. But Medvedev stayed calm, saving the chances and sealing the win in a tie-break.
Earlier in the day, the men’s doubles final saw Francisco Cabral and Lucas Miedler defeat defending champions Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool in a close match, winning 6–3, 3–6, 10–8.
The tournament also featured its first wheelchair singles event. British top seed Alfie Hewett claimed the title with a comfortable 6–3, 6–1 win over Spain’s Martín de la Puente. Hewett, the reigning Australian Open champion, showed his class throughout the match.
