Italian Open: Medvedev beats qualifier Hanfmann, reaches first semifinal in Rome

Medvedev beat German qualifier Yannick Hanfmann 6-2, 6-2 on Thursday to reach the semifinals in Rome after losing his opener in his three previous appearances at the Foro Italico.

Published : May 18, 2023 21:41 IST , ROME - 1 MIN READ

Russia’s Daniil Medvedev during his men’s singles quarterfinal match against Yannick Hanfmann of Germany at the Italian Open at Foro Italico on Thursday in Rome.
Russia’s Daniil Medvedev during his men’s singles quarterfinal match against Yannick Hanfmann of Germany at the Italian Open at Foro Italico on Thursday in Rome. | Photo Credit: Getty Images
infoIcon

Russia’s Daniil Medvedev during his men’s singles quarterfinal match against Yannick Hanfmann of Germany at the Italian Open at Foro Italico on Thursday in Rome. | Photo Credit: Getty Images

Daniil Medvedev’s clay-court game keeps improving.

First came a run to the French Open quarterfinals in 2021. Then an appearance in the fourth round at Roland Garros a year ago.

Now, the third-ranked Russian is making big strides at the Italian Open.

Medvedev beat German qualifier Yannick Hanfmann 6-2, 6-2 on Thursday to reach the semifinals in Rome after losing his opener in his three previous appearances at the Foro Italico.

“I said before the tournament that I was feeling really great in practice,” Medvedev said. “It’s always a danger to say this, because when you lose the first round you’re going to be, ‘Why did I say this?’ But I’m proving it. I feel great.”

On an overcast day, Medvedev controlled play with his flat groundstrokes and big first serve to the end the run of Hanfmann, who upset Monte Carlo Masters champion Andrey Rublev in the previous round after also taking out ninth-seeded Taylor Fritz.

Medvedev has dropped only one set in four matches.

His semifinal opponent will be either Stefanos Tsitsipas or Borna Coric, who were playing later.

Medvedev has long been a threat on hard courts, having won the 2021 US Open and reached three other finals between the US Open and Australian Open — which propelled him to the No. 1 ranking. But he struggled with four consecutive first-round exits at Roland Garros from 2017-20.

This year’s French Open starts on May 28.

Sign in to unlock all user benefits
  • Get notified on top games and events
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign up / manage to our newsletters with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early bird access to discounts & offers to our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide to our community guidelines for posting your comment