Tennis-Undercooked Medvedev looks to beat the heat in bid for Australian Open crown

Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia - January 15, 2024 Russia's Daniil Medvedev in action during his first round match France's Terence Atmane REUTERS/Eloisa Lopez/File Photo

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Daniil Medvedev will be the clear favourite when he takes on Emil Ruusuvuori at the Australian Open on Thursday, but the Russian will have to contend with his lack of preparation and the weather as he seeks his first title at Melbourne Park.

The Australian Open remains one of the few hard-court tournaments where Medvedev is yet to win a trophy, having lost back-to-back finals to Novak Djokovic and Rafa Nadal in 2021 and 2022.