Resurgent Jiri Lehecka stuns former World No 1 Daniil Medvedev in Cincinnati

Medvedev, the 2019 champion, came to Ohio eager to regain form after an early exit in Montreal. However, Lehecka, returning from a back injury that had sidelined him since Madrid, claimed victory with a 7-6(2), 6-4 win.

Lehecka played with fearless determination, delivering 17 forehand winners to capitalize on his opportunities. The Adelaide champion from earlier this year celebrated his victory by writing a fitting message on the camera after the match: "I am back!"

The 2022 Next Gen ATP Finals runner-up spent over two months away from the game before returning to the court on 7 July. Just over a month later, he has secured one of the most significant victories of his career.

"It's amazing to be back, to be honest," Lehecka said in his on-court interview. "It was a long time since I was playing on a big stage, so I enjoyed every moment of it today. To get a win again such a good player, talented player as Daniil surely is, is just a bonus for me."

Lehecka moves on to face home favourite Frances Tiafoe, who defeated in-form Italian Lorenzo Musetti 6-3, 6-2.

"Served really well today. I was the aggressor, I was playing pretty deep, great depth," Tiafoe said in his on-court interview. "But the thing is I just tried to get on him early. He's been playing on a bunch of different surfaces, he's played a lot of tennis lately. I know obviously he's trying to get to his best at the US Open, but I thought I had to come out really hot and play as fast as I can. I came forward a lot today and I think really disrupted him."

Greece's world number 11 Stefanos Tsitsipas beat Germany's Jan-Lennard Struff 4-6 6-4 6-3, while world number one Jannik Sinner reached round two with a 6-4 7-5 win against American qualifier Alex Michelsen.

Denmark's Holger Rune and Canada's Felix Auger-Aliassime also progressed.