Defending champion Daniil Medvedev faced a tough challenge against qualifier Hamad Medjedovic in the Italian Open, ultimately prevailing 7-6 (7/5), 2-6, 7-5 after nearly three hours of play.
Medvedev, expressing dissatisfaction with his performance despite winning, said, “I’m not really pleased.” He believed he had a good start to the game, but as it went on, his performance deteriorated. He stressed the importance of improving his performance in the upcoming round against Tommy Paul.
There have been multiple upsets in the event, with top seeds like Andrey Rublev and Novak Djokovic losing out early. The rivalry is getting more exciting as sixth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas and seventh seed Hubert Hurkacz—who overcame Rafael Nadal—keep moving forward.
In the women’s draw, Aryna Sabalenka defeated Elina Svitolina in a much-anticipated match. Svitolina had famously refused to shake hands with opponents from Belarus and Russia in protest of the continuing war.
Iga Swiatek, the top seed in the world, proved her mettle by overcoming Angelique Kerber to go to the quarterfinals. Swiatek is still a strong player in the competition and is ready to take on Madison Keys in the following round. She has her sights set on winning a third Rome title and defending her French Open title.
