O’Connell prevailed 6-4, 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (7-5) in a two-hour, 52-minute battle between the two in-form Sydneysiders.

The 29-year-old O’Connell is also enjoying a breakout season, now projected to climb to a career high No.61 in the world after also making a run to the last 32 at Wimbledon.

“I know Max really well, I’ve known him since he was eight,” he said.

“I’ve seen him develop over the years and of late he has been playing some unbelievable tennis.

“There’s a load of Australians in the top 100 at the moment, a lot of Australians playing slams so you are bound to draw one now and then.

“Unfortunately I drew Max but at the same time you look at it there’s going to be an Australian through to the second round and that is always a positive.

“So once the first point is played I just feel all that goes out the window. I just look across the net and he is just another tennis player from my point of view.”

Medvedev conceded only two games in a straight-sets rout of Hungary’s Attila Balazs.

But the 2021 US Open champion holds no fears for O’Connell ahead of their showcourt match-up on Friday.

“That’s going to be exciting,” O’Connell said. “We had a tight battle this year in Doha, I feel I’ve got a good game style to maybe cause him some trouble. It was very close in Doha.

“I am sure he has a good idea of what I am going to bring and I’m going to play similar to how I did in Doha. But he is a top, top player so I am sure he is probably going to change a little bit from that match.”

Vukic was beaten 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 by German 12th seed Alexander Zverev, while Duckworth, a qualifying lucky loser who gained a late reprieve into the main draw, lost 6-4, 7-6 (13-11), 6-3 to Brazilian Felipe Meligeni Alves.

Kokkinakis suffered a shock 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 defeat to Taiwan’s world No.237 Yu Hsiou Tsu, while Kubler and Thompson both retired with leg injuries a set into their openers.

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Kubler was trailing Italian Matteo Arnaldo 6-3, 1-0 and Dutchman Botic van De Zandschulp was leading Thompson 6-3.

AAP

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