Russia's Medvedev thrashes Pospisil to extend winning streak

MELBOURNE: Red-hot Russian Daniil Medvedev won his 15th straight match Tuesday, handing Canada's Vasek Pospisil a straight-sets whipping to get his Australian Open underway.

The world number four has been in blistering form as he looks to lift a maiden Grand Slam title, with 10 of his victories during the win streak against top-10 players.

He blasted past the 63rd-ranked Pospisil 6-2, 6-2, 6-4 on Margaret Court Arena in his bid to become only the third Russian man to win a major title after Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Marat Safin.

"I didn't know how it would be physically but I managed to finish it fast and I'm feeling good," he said. "I knew I had to go out and win the match because that's my job."

Medvedev broke Pospisil in the first game and there was no looking back as he ruthlessly overpowered the 30-year-old, dominating from the baseline and forcing the Canadian into 43 unforced errors.

Medvedev, 24, has been knocking on the door of Grand Slam success for some time, reaching the 2019 US Open final -- where he lost in five sets to Rafael Nadal -- and the last four in New York in 2020.

But he has yet to go beyond the round of 16 in four previous appearances at Melbourne Park.

Medvedev will next play either Spain's Roberto Carballes Baenza or Hungary's Attila Balazs, with a potential last-eight meeting with fellow in-form Russian Andrey Rublev beckoning.