The Albany Gazette - Absence of major rivals hardly bothers Medvedev at Montreal

The weekend champion at Los Cabos flew to French-speaking Canada to defend his title from last August.

But the top seed will not have to face Novak Djokovic due to the Serb's refusal to take the Covid-19 vaccination.

And Rafael Nadal dropped out before the start as his abdominal injury from Wimbledon flared up during training in Spain.

Roger Federer's presence has never even figured in the calculation as the Swiss, who turned 41 on Monday, puts finishing touches on his knee surgery recovery.

For Medvedev, it will just be business as usual on court.

"If the Big Three are in the tournament, they are the favourites straightaway," he said.

"They win a lot of tournaments -- almost every tournament they play -- so there is no surprise when we make them favourites.

"For me, it doesn't change much if they're here or not -- my goal is to win the tournament. No matter who I play, I just want to win the match."

The Russian does not automatically fancy his chances when it comes to facing the game's trio of household names.

"I've never beaten Roger, I beat Rafa one time (2020 ATP Finals) and I beat Novak a few times," he said.

"It's a special sensation, brings you a lot of confidence. It's just a good feeling."

Medvedev earned his first title of the season in Mexico on Sunday as he defeated Britain's Cameron Norrie 7-5, 6-0.

He begins in Montreal in the second round after a bye against the winner from weekend Washington champion Nick Kyrgios and Argentine Sebastian Baez.

(Y.Yildiz--BBZ)