Making his last appearance at this tournament after announcing he would be retiring at the end of 2026, three-time major winner Wawrinka was unable to find any rhythm against the 2021 US Open champion, saying goodbye to Dubai after an hour and 13 minutes.
Medvedev was far too good from the back of the court for his 40-year-old opponent, suffocating him with his relentless depth and retrieval skills. The heat also began to take a toll on Wawrinka, with the Swiss star making 35 unforced errors.
The champion back in 2016, Wawrinka made his first appearance in Dubai 20 years ago, and was given a presentation at the end of the match to celebrate his illustrious career.
Meanwhile, 2023 champion Medvedev will be hoping to end his Middle Eastern swing on a high, following his last-16 defeat to Stefanos Tsitsipas in Doha last week.
He will face Jenson Brooksby in the quarter-finals, after he claimed a brilliant 7-6(6), 6-4 win over seventh seed Karen Khachanov. The American is making his debut in Dubai.