Daniil Medvedev on Wednesday cruised through his first match of the year on clay, defeating Italian wild-card Lorenzo Sonego 6-3, 6-2 at the Monte Carlo Masters to set up a meeting with Alexander Zverev.
Medvedev broke Sonego at the first attempt and then twice more in the second set to reel off his 25th win in his past 26 tour-level matches.
“Every match is a struggle [on clay], but I have had some good matches on clay,” Medvedev said. “I managed to play good against a very strong player on clay.”
Photo: AFP
“It’s completely different on clay, but confidence is confidence,” the third seed added. “It’s about winning matches, because it is always two players that play, and one is going to win... I hope to bring this confidence even further.”
Medvedev earned his tour-leading 30th victory of the season and faces Zverev in the last 16 — to be the first meeting between the pair on clay. Their match was schedued to begin at about press time last night.
Zverev is still finding his way back after tearing ankle ligaments in the French Open semi-finals last year against Rafael Nadal.
Following a difficult first-round tie against the dangerous Alexander Bublik, he beat Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut 6-4, 6-4 on Wednesday.
Casper Ruud began his Monte Carlo campaign with a 7-5, 7-6 (7/1) win over Botic van de Zandschulp.
“It is never easy to start at a new tournament and against a player I have lost to before,” said Ruud, who avenged his early exit at the hands of Van de Zandschulp in Miami. “Sometimes it is a little tricky playing someone you recently lost to, like: ‘Not again,’ but in this case I was a bit happy because I felt like some unfinished business from the Miami match.”
Ruud faces Jan-Lennard Struff after the German knocked out 14th seed Alex de Minaur 6-3, 6-2.
Twelve days after winning her second Grand Slam title at the French Open, Coco Gauff fell at the first hurdle on grass in Berlin on Thursday as beaten Paris finalist Aryna Sabalenka advanced to the quarter-finals. Recipient of a first round bye, American Gauff lost 6-3, 6-3 to Chinese qualifier Wang Xinyu as world number one Sabalenka beat Rebeka Masarova 6-2, 7-6 (8/6) in her second round tie. Winner of 10 main tour titles, including the US Open in 2023 and the WTA Finals last year, Gauff has yet to lift a trophy in a grass-court tournament. “After I won the first
Sergio Ramos on Tuesday outfoxed two Inter players and artfully headed home the first goal for Monterrey at the FIFA Club World Cup. The 39-year-old Ramos slipped through the penalty area for the score just as he did for so many years in the shirts of Real Madrid and Spain’s national team, with whom he combined smarts, timing and physicality. Ramos’ clever goal and his overall defensive play at the Rose Bowl were major factors in Monterrey’s impressive 1-1 draw against the UEFA Champions League finalists in the clubs’ first match of the tournament. “There is always a joy to contribute to the
Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka staged a “crazy comeback,” saving four match points before beating Elena Rybakina 7-6 (6), 3-6, 7-6 (6) in the quarter-finals of the Berlin Open on Friday. Sabalenka was 6-2 down in the final-set tie-breaker, but won six straight points to reach her eighth semi-final of the season. “Elena is a great player and we’ve had a lot of tough battles,” Sabalenka said. “I have no idea how I was able to win those last points. I think I just got lucky.” “I remember a long time ago when I was just starting, I won a lot of matches being down
While British star Jack Draper spent the past week trying to find rhythm and comfort in his first grass tournament of the season at the Queen’s Club Championships in London, Jiri Lehecka on Saturday bulldozed everything in his path. After more than two furious hours of battle, their form was reflected in the final scoreline as Lehecka toppled a frustrated Draper, the second seed, 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 to reach the biggest final of his career, against Carlos Alcaraz. Lehecka is also the first Czech to reach the men’s title match at Queen’s since Ivan Lendl lifted the trophy in 1990. Draper, who
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