Medvedev is in any case the new number 1 in the world if he wins the Mexican Open, regardless of what current leader Novak Djokovic performs at the Dubai tournament. It was the first match for both Medvedev and Nadal since the final in Melbourne.
The Russian will face Spaniard Pablo Andujar in the second round. Nadal, the number 5 in the world, meets the American Stefan Kozlov.