Daniil Medvedev continued his Rome title defence with Monday’s hard-fought 7-6 (7/5), 2-6, 7-5 win over qualifier Hamad Medjedovic as the lads’s event was left huge open by big-name exits, the newest being fourth seed Andrey Rublev.
Russian Medvedev will face Tommy Paul within the final 16 on the Foro Italico on Tuesday after battling previous Subsequent Gen champion Medjedovic in a gruelling conflict of massive hitters.
The second seed has a terrific alternative to win his first event of the yr however shall be drained by a match which pushed three hours in size and recommended that 20-year-old Medjedovic is a far superior participant than his world rating of 121.
“I’m probably not happy. I felt like I began the match nicely after which in a means it was solely going downhill,” mentioned Medvedev.
“I’m completely happy that by not enjoying my finest I may win and tomorrow I’m going to attempt to discover my finest tennis.”
Rome is lacking the world’s prime three males following Novak Djokovic’s third-round elimination on Saturday, with Italian world quantity two Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz each withdrawing forward of the occasion.
And Russian Rublev, contemporary from claiming the Madrid title, suffered a shock third-round defeat by French qualifier Alexandre Muller, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.
Sixth seed and reigning Monte Carlo champion Stefanos Tsitsipas continues to be within the fray after beating Briton Cameron Norrie in straight units 6-2, 7-6 (7/1) however is anxious on the affect of a punishing schedule on the highest gamers.
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“The extension of the times within the Masters 1000s I believe performs an enormous function and contributes so much to the truth that these gamers are getting injured,” Tsitsipas informed reporters.
One other contender is Rafael Nadal’s vanquisher and seventh seed Hubert Hurkacz, who faces Sebastian Baez on Tuesday and may very well be Medvedev’s quarter-final opponent.
No Sabalenka handshake
Elina Svitolina once more refused to shake fingers with Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka after shedding their first assembly since their row on the 2023 French Open.
Belarusian second seed Sabalenka got here again from a set all the way down to win 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 (9/7) to beat Ukrainian Svitolina, who following their quarter-final at Roland Garros final yr accused Sabalenka of inflaming tensions surrounding the Russia-Ukraine struggle by insisting on a handshake that was not going to return.
Ukrainian gamers have refused to shake fingers with Russian and Belarusian rivals in protest on the ongoing struggle and Svitolina once more walked straight to her chair after the match.
Sabalenka will face world quantity 10 Jelena Ostapenko within the quarter-finals after squeezing previous two-time Rome winner Svitolina in an excellent match for many who stayed late within the centre courtroom stands.
The 26-year-old, who has by no means received in Rome however is a two-time champion on the Madrid clay, has an opportunity to match her 2022 run to the final 4 in entrance of a crowd who have been on her aspect and roared with delight after she received an exciting time break on the second time of asking.