Sonego broke Medvedev’s serve only once to start the second set but handed that advantage straight back before taking a medical timeout after the third game.

“I didn’t know it was nine [set points] – that’s actually crazy. Maybe the first time in my life, I saved nine set points,” said Medvedev.

“What a match to start the year. Definitely unfortunate for everybody, I think, that it finished early, in a way, even if we played one hour, 40 [minutes], but happy to be able to win the first set. Of course, I wish Lorenzo a speedy recovery, and, hopefully, we’re going to see him even stronger.”

Kecmanovic, who reached the last 16 at the 2022 Australian Open, eliminated Sydney’s Chris O’Connell in straight sets on Monday. Medvedev expects him to be a challenging opponent, although he didn’t drop a set to him in either of their clashes last season.

“I’m looking forward to playing Australian Open, but right now I’m here [in Adelaide], so I want to stay here as long as possible,” he said.

“Of course, Miomir, we played two times last year. Really tough opponent. The field here is really strong, so if you get an easy opponent, I would be really surprised, and I’m really looking forward to this great match.”