World no. celebrated individual victory.
Medvedev, who had to sit out Wimbledon due to an All England Club ban on Russian players, finished the match in just over 90 minutes, with Hijikata showing his resilience by securing five break points over the course of the two sets.
“Someone told me that a few days ago … otherwise I wouldn’t have known,” Medvedev said of the milestone. “Of course I want more wins, but it’s also nice to have 250. We’ll try to get more.”
The win also helps Medvedev get back into the hard-court groove as he ramps up preparations for his US Open title defense, with his previous match coming on his preferred surface at the Miami Open in March.
“It’s definitely not that easy to play after you’ve stopped for a while…” Medvedev said.
“The sensations weren’t bad. I could have broken a little more, but if you win, everything’s fine. I have to play like that in the next few games.”
Next, Medvedev meets Ricardas Berankis of Lithuania in the quarterfinals.
Reporting by John Stonestreet