Danil Medvedev beat Alexander Bublik 7-6 (7-3) 6-4 inside Manolo Santana Stadium in the fourth round of the Madrid Mutua Open.
Medvedev becomes the 10th active player to reach at least the quarter final at all nine ATP Masters 1000 tournaments.
Medvedev was the first to earn a break point in the fourth game, but Bublik saved it at deuce. Bublik converted the second of his three break points in the fifth game to take a 3-2 lead. Both players went on serve until the tie-break. Medvedev raced out to a 6-0 lead in the tie-break with two mini-breaks. Bublik pulled two mini-breaks back to cut his deficit to 3-6, but Medvedev sealed the win on his fourth set point.
Medvedev earned a break point in the first game of the second set. The Russian player faced a break point in the second game after a forehand error, but Bublik did not convert it. Medvedev went up a 4-0 lead with a double break. Bublik went down 0-30 in the fifth game, but he held serve to avoid a bagel. Bublik pulled one break back in the eighth game and held serve at 30 to cut the deficit for 4-5. Medvedev served out the win on his first match point after 1 hour and 44 minutes.
“It was a tough match. A lot of drop shots, and I got so tired in the end running for them. That’s when you lose your concentration and you start to play a bit worse. That’s what happened, but after the match he told he was dead also. So good for me, at least I was not the only one. Generally I felt like it was a good level. Some good points, some good serving and some bad serving. So it was a bit up and down, but I am happy that I was able to stay more consistent and win it in the end”, said Medvedev.
Medvedev will face either five-time Madrid champion Rafael Nadal or Jiri Lehecka in the quarter finals.
Medvedev will play in his 20th Masters 1000 quarter final and his third of 2024, as he is bidding to win his seventh title in the series.
“I think I watched the third set only yesterday. The third set was pretty big in my opinion. He was not looking very tired. It will be interesting to see how it today. I played Jiri in practice here before the tournament. I played Jiri here before the tournament and he was playing some big tennis. So it is super interesting to see how it goes, to see if Rafa is better, if he is tired or not tired, so I will get tired for the winner”, said Medvedev.
Andrey Rublev beat Tallon Griekspoor 6-2 6-4 after 64 minutes. Rublev won all of his six sets at this tournament so far.
Rublev converted three of his seven break points. The number 7 seed broke serve at deuce in the second game before holding serve at 15 to open up a 3-0 lead. He earned three set points on Griekspoor’s serve and broke serve on his second opportunity to win the first set 6-2.
Griekspoor saved two break points in the fourth game of the second set. The second set went on serve until the 10th game when Rublev broke serve on his first match point to reach his 11thMasters 1000 quarter final and his first since Monte-Carlo 2023.
Rublev will face the winner of the re-match of the 2023 Madrid Mutua Final between Carlos Alcaraz and Jan-Lennard Struff.
