Taylor Fritz overcame a tough battle to beat Grigor Dimitrov 6-2 6-7 (11-13) 6-1 reaching the quarter final at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome. 

Fritz has become the first US player to reach quarter finals at three different clay court tournaments in Monte-Carlo in 2022 and 2023, Madrid 2024 and Rome 2024. 

Fritz broke serve in the third game and saved two break points to hold serve for 3-1. The US player fended off five break points before breaking serve in the seventh game to close out the first set 6-2. 

Dimitrov earned a set point at 5-4 on Fritz’s serve, but the US player fended it off. 

Fritz hit a smash to save a second break point. The Delray Beach champion and Munich finalist fought all 11 break points he faced in the match. 

Dimitrov hit a forehand down the line to earn an early mini-break in the tie-break and took a 2-0 lead. Fritz pulled the mini-break back for 2-3, when Dimitrov missed a forehand. Dimitrov earned a second mini-break with a drop-volley winner to take a 4-2 lead. Dimitrov went up a 6-3 lead to earn three set points. Fritz fired a wide serve to save a third set point. Fritz fended off a fourth set point with a drop-shot. Fritz saved the fifth set point to draw level to 6-6, as Dimitrov made a double fault. Dimitrov hit another drop volley to earn his seventh set point, but Fritz saved it. Dimitrov saved a match point at 8-7 on a second serve. 

Dimitrov earned a seventh set point, but he hit a forehand pass wide to drop to 9-9. Fritz faced an eighth set point at 10-9 with his first double fault, but he saved it to draw level to 10-10, as Dimitrov hit his slice into the net. Fritz saved a ninth set point with a backhand down the line to draw level to 11-11. Dimitrov converted his 10^th set point with a forehand down the line to close out the 19-minute tie-break. Dimitrov forced the match to the decider after 2 hours and nine minutes. Fritz dropped his first set at this tournament. 

After a four-minute bathroom break Fritz converted his fourth break point to open up a 2-0 lead in the third set. Fritz won 12 of the 13 break points on his serve to open up a 4-1 lead. Dimitrov faced a two break points in the sixth game. Fritz broke for the second time in the sixth game with a forehand to race out to a 5-1 lead. Fritz sealed the win with his 13^th ace on his first match point. 

After losing in the first round at the Miami Open, Fritz reached the final in Munich and the semifinal in Madrid, where he avenged a 2023 Roland Garros loss against Francisco Cerundolo in the quarter final. 

“I feel like normally in those situations. I would be a lot more uptight and nervy, but honestly I felt pretty calm. I think it was tough because the sun was moving the whole match, and right in the tie-break is the first time it was bad for me on that side, so I threw in the double fault. I had a really good opportunity on a second serve return, and he hit it into my body and a bit slower than the other ones. I just caught it a bit early trying to get out the way of it. It’s easy to go back and dwell on that the whole third set, but I did a really good job at just putting it behind me and not thinking about that second serve return”, said Fritz. 

Fritz set up a quarter final match against Alexander Zverev, who beat Nuno Borges 6-2 7-5. Zverev has reached at least the fourth round at all Masters 1000 tournaments this year. 

Zverev earned an early break, but Borges broke back to draw level to 2-2. Zverev won four consecutive games to close out the first set 6-2. Zverev earned the decisive break in the 11^th game to seal the win in 86 minutes. Zverev hit 25 winners to Borges’ eight and his 82% of points on his first serve. Zverev has improved his seasonal record to 25 wins to 9 defeats. The German player reached three semifinals at Los Angeles, Miami and Los Cabos.  

Zverev leads 4-3 in his seven head-to head matches against Fritz, but the US player won two of their last three matches. Zverev and Fritz have never faced off on clay. 

“We were lined up potentially last week to play in the quarter finals, but it will be fun. We will see what happens. We have played each other a good amount and known each other a long time, said Fritz.

Defending champion Danil Medvedev battled past 2023 Next Gen Finals champion Hamad Medjedovic 7-6 (7-5) 2-6 7-5 after 2 hours and 50 minutes on Centre Court to reach the Round of 16 at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome. 

Medvedev is the highest ranked player left in the men’s draw since Novak Djokovic lost against Alejandro Tabilo on Sunday. Medjedovic beat Alejandro Davidovich Fokina without dropping a set to reach the third round of a Masters 1000 tournament for the first time in his career. He faced a top 10 player for the first time in his career. 

Medvedev broke serve in the first game and held on his serve to take a 4-2 lead in the opening set. Medjedovic broke serve at 15 in the eighth game to draw level to 4-4. Medvedev converted his fourth break point in the ninth game to take a 5-4 lead. Medjedovic broke straight back in the 10^th game to draw level to 5-5 en route to the tie-break. Medvedev went up a mini-break three times, but Medjedovic pulled back on serve each time. Medvedev sealed the tie-break with a fourth mini-break. 

Medjedovic broke twice in the third and seventh games to win the second set 6-2. 

Medvedev broke in the fourth game of the third set to open up a 4-1 lead. Medjedovic broke back in the eighth game to draw level to 4-4. Medvedev broke for the second time in the 12^th game to close out the third set 7-5. 

Medvedev won his first title on clay in Rome last year. He is seeking to defend a tour-level title for the first time in his career. 

Medvedev has now reached the Round of 16 at all five Masters 1000 tournaments this season. 

“I felt like I started the match well and then in a way it was going downhill. My serve was not there, my shots were not aggressive enough when I needed to. Because many times I would like to play the rhythm I played, but I would like from time to time to surprise my opponent with some good shots. Today I was not able to do it. At one moment in the match I thought what I was doing would not be enough to win the match, so I am happy that even by playing not my best I could win. Tomorrow I am going to try to find my best tennis”, said Medvedev. 

Medvedev set up a fourth round match against Tommy Paul, who beat Dominik Koepfer 6-4 6-4. 

Sebastian Baez came back from one set down to beat Holger Rune 2-6 6-2 6-3. Baez has reached the fourth round of a Masters 1000 tournament for the first time in his career. 

The Argentine player has scored his third top 10 win after beating Cristian Garin in Cordoba and Andrey Rublev in Bastad in 2022. 

Baez set up a Fourth round match against Hubert Hurkacz, who beat Tomas Martin Etcheverry 7-6 (8-6) 6-2. 

Alex De Minaur came back from one set down to beat last week’s Madrid Mutua Open finalist Felix Auger Aliasime 6-7 (2-7) 6-4 6-4 after a three-hour battle reaching the Round of 16 for the second time in six attempts at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia at the Foro Italico in Rome. 

De Minaur converted on four of his twelve break points. The Australian player scored the first win of his career over Auger Aliassime, who had claimed their previous two head-to-head matches in Cincinnati and in the Davis Cup Finals in 2022. 

Auger Aliassime broke serve at love in the first game and held serve at 15 to take a 2-0 lead. De Minaur converted his fourth break point in the sixth game to draw level to 3-3. Both players traded mini-breaks at the start of the tie-break. Auger Aliassime won three points to open up a 4-1 lead. De Minaur pulled back one of the two mini-breaks for 2-4. Auger Aliassime won the final three points to win the tie-break 7-2. 

De Minaur broke serve in the ninth game to win the second set 6-4. The Australian player converted his third break point in the third game of the decider, but he let a 3-1 lead slip, when Auger Aliassime broke back in the sixth game to draw level to 3-3. De Minaur broke for the second time in the ninth game and served out at 15 to close out the third set 6-4. 

De Minaur scored his second win against a top 20 opponent on clay in 13 attempts. 

“I think Felix is a very good player. He had a lot of confidence coming in. I am very happy how I stayed in the match how I stayed in the match at all stages. I was positive, no matter what came my way. I could have had a double break in the third set to maybe secure the match. I did not get it, ended up getting broken, and I managed to compose myself so I am very with that”, said De Minaur. 

De Minaur set up a Round of 16 match against sixth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas, who beat Cameron Norrie 6-2 7-6 (7-1) to improve his seasonal record on clay to 19-2. 

Alexandre Muller rallied from one set down to beat Andrey Rublev 3-6 6-3 6-2 after 1 hour and 49 minutes. Muller stopped Rublev’s seven-match winning streak. 

Rublev earned his first break of the match in the fourth game to take a 3-1 lead. Muller saved a break point at 2-5 down, but Rublev served out the first set at 15 in the ninth game. 

Muller converted his fourth break point in the eighth game to seal the second set 6-3 forcing the match to the decider. 

Muller broke twice in the third and fifth game to open up a 4-1 lead. Rublev saved two match points when he was serving to stay in the match, but Muller converted his third match point in the final game to score his first win against a top 10 player. Muller set up a Round of 16 match against Nicholas Jarry, who beat Stefano Napolitano 6-2 4-6 6-4. 

Muller becomes the first qualifier to beat a top 5 seed after losing the first set at an ATP Masters 1000 tournament since Jeremy Chardy beat Danil Medvedev in Paris Bercy in 2019. 

Earlier at this tournament Muller beat Marton Fucsovics 4-6 7-6 (7-2) 6-2 and Arthur Fils 7-5 6-3. 

“It’s amazing. I did not expect to win Andrey Rublev. I knew I had my chance, but it is special to win against a top 10 player. It was my first win against a top 10 player so I am very happy”, said Muller.