Daniil Medvedev secures a spot in the ATP Finals semi-finals after defeating Alexander Zverev 7-6 (9/7), 6-4, while Carlos Alcaraz breezes past Andrey Rublev to kick off his campaign with a win.
World number three Medvedev had to secure a straight-sets victory to secure a spot in the semi-finals in Turin, and he managed to do just that against German Zverev in a sluggish Red Group matchup.
He is set to face Carlos Alcaraz in his final match and carry the world number two’s last-four hopes on his shoulders.
“I hope that I feel well tomorrow and ready to fight because this tournament is tricky,” said Medvedev.
“I’m into the semis but you want to keep the rhythm and against Carlos… if we play at night you don’t want to finish 7-6 in the third (set) at midnight. I just hope I can show my best tennis.”
Medvedev has a long-standing rivalry with Zverev and has prevailed in five of their six matches this season. One of those wins came in his surprise triumph at the clay-court Italian Open in May, one of five titles won by Medvedev this year.
Zverev, a two-time winner at the season-ending tournament, would have qualified from the Red Group with a win, but ended up on the wrong side of the result after throwing away his service game.
On the other hand, Carlos Alcaraz secured his first-ever win in the season-ending tournament by defeating Russian Rublev, who struggled emotionally and physically throughout the match.
On Thursday, Jannik Sinner will attempt to become the first Italian to reach the semi-finals, adding to the intrigue of the ATP Finals.
Jessica Roberts serves up the latest in the world of tennis. With a love for the racket sport, she reports on tennis matches, player rankings, and Grand Slam events, ensuring readers stay informed about the tennis world.
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72931262/usa_today_21973134.0.jpg "Stay Updated on Wisconsin Badgers Transfer Portal Movements for 2023-2024 Season")
