Daniil Medvedev v Andrey Rublev – The 2020 champion eases to victory in the battle of the Russians at the 2023 Nitto ATP Finals

That is a clean kill!

2020 champion Medvedev serves out to love to kick off his 2023campaign with a stylish display in Red Group.

Rublev faded badly towards the end and has it all to do if he’s to repeat last year’s semi-final appearance.

Andrey avoids the breadstick with a solid hold but he looks a beaten man as he slumps into his chair.

Medvedev will now serve for the match with the cushion of a double break.

There’s a real contrast out there. Rublev continues to cut a figure of complete woe and appears to have hurt his wrist following his racquet abuse.

Medvedev is ice cool and shows how calm he is by following up a wild double fault for 30-30 with a couple of clutch serves that move him within a game of victory.

When Andrey has spoken of what it’s like facing Daniil, he’s suggested that his good friend ‘kills you slowly.’

How true that must feel right now. The Russian octopus pushes Rublev from side to side, tiring him out and luring errors.

It’s a deuce game once more but this time Andrey can’t escape as he slips on a volley and coughs up the double break. He crumbles to the floor in anguish, almost in tears.

He knows it’s surely curtains now and thwacks his racquet in irritation.

Well, that was rapid.

Daniil gobbles down the cheap points courtesy of some explosive first serves and continues to lead the charge in this contest.

It’s too much of a mixed bag from Andrey so far tonight.

A bazooka of a forehand up the line and a deft touch volley off a humongous serve stand out as the pick of his points, but a truly ugly drop shot and a double fault cause him problems of his own making. It sees him flitter away a 40-15 advantage, but he avoids catastrophe by finding some form at deuce to stay in touch. The double break would surely have been curtains…

Medvedev makes life difficult for himself with a weird drop shot that slices wide into the tramlines and gives Rublev a glimmer at 15-30.

The No.3 seed responds and nails a beauty of a backhand winner down the line before digging out a jab down the very same wing to stun Rublev and back up the break.

That is going to hurt.

Rublev miscues a couple of crosscourt attempts by some distance and stares down the barrel at 0-40.

To his credit, he keeps plugging away and somehow makes deuce with an intelligent serve and volley.

It proves to be in vain, however, as another error gifts Medvedev a fourth chance and this time his compatriot hands over the break with a backhand into the net.

At least Andrey is beginning to have a say on Medvedev’s serve now – but it’s too late for this set.

He has two early chances here as the No.3 seed double faults to cough up a couple of additional break back points.

A miscued backhand from a central area frustrates Rublev further before clutch serves swat away the second - and then a third and fourth from deuce.

It’s the highlight of the set right here with both players producing stunning touches at the net to thwart their opponent and going toe-to-toe with heavy-hitting baseline exchanges.

There is a sense that Daniil will eventually prevail and he finally close it out with a barrage of huge forehands to breach Rublev's defence and take an engaging 54-minute opener.

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Rublev looks disconsolate and ready to implode at 0-30 but a sudden surge to the net to thrash away another drive volley seems to kick-start something within him.

He still has to hustle from deuce but the injection of controlled pace into some patient rallies turns the tables his way and he edges through to pose the serve-out question.

Rublev hones-in on an instant response, unloading a huge forehand down the line before drilling away a drive volley to conjure up two break back points.

Medvedev swats them away with a pair of timely aces, but Andrey keeps coming and an awkward smash proves good enough to earn him a third chance.

It isn’t to be though as he is rushed with a pass that hits the net and Daniil wriggles clear of his first test to consolidate.

Rublev isn’t impressed with himself and can’t resist kicking a stray tennis ball into the net.

Rublev gulps in the air following a bruising 29-shot rally and is pleased to land a wide serve that Daniil can’t return on to the court.

The 2020 champion has got a good read on Rublev’s serve though and works his way to another break point with a scorching crosscourt forehand.

An excellent serve appears to save Rublev, but he charges into the net to complete the S and V tactic, only to cannon a wild drive volley way long of the baseline.

It's a gift, but you can't say Medvedev doesn't deserve it having posed all of the questions so far.

Medvedev bullies his good pal from the sanctuary of his own baseline, despatching crunching forehands from flank to flank and never looking in danger of losing serve.

It’s another efficient hold for the World No.3 as we still await the first big move of this round-robin clash.

An anxious expression briefly betrays Rublev’s attempt to remain poker-faced as a tight backhand slaps into the net.

The mask slips as he flirts with the danger of choking from 40-0 up, but in the nick if time he comes up with a clutch wide serve to deny Daniil and keep his nose in front.

There’s no such drama for Medvedev as he again holds serve with serene authority.

Rublev has scrapped hard just to remain level here but he needs to start delivering on serve if he’s to repeat last year’s triumph over his 'bestie' at this tournament.

Rublev has to switch to clutch mode once again as Medvedev threatens with two more break points.

Andrey slaps away an overhead and then re-directs a tough backhand down the line to make deuce.

Medvedev can’t keep the heat on and the Monte Carlo champion unleashes the power to edge a hard-fought final point and dig out another hold.