In Rome, Medvedev comes through, not Rune!

The hecatomb continues in Italy. After the withdrawals of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, the tournament has already seen the elimination of Casper Ruud, Andrey Rublev, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Ben Shelton and Felix Auger-Aliassime. On Monday evening, it was Daniil Medvedev and Holger Rune's turn to tremble.

Holger Rune, lacking confidence for weeks, was unable to find the key against Sebastian Baez (2-6, 6-2, 6-3 in 1h48). Faced with the Argentinian, ranked 19th in the world and very much at ease on ochre, the Dane, who was far too febrile, was already on his way out in Italy. After an excellent match (18 winners, 10 unforced errors), Baez reaffirmed his status as a specialist on ochre. Having already won titles in Rio de Janeiro and Santiago, the 1m70 player is reassuring himself after missing out on a number of tournaments (Monte-Carlo, Barcelona and Madrid).

Daniil Medvedev, for his part, almost shared the same fate as his tormentor in the 2023 final. The Russian defending champion had a tough time of it against Hamad Medjedovic (7-6, 2-6, 7-5 in 2h50). Maligned by a very opportunistic opponent, the world number 4 finally used all his experience to defeat a dangerous opponent. Continually criticized for his lack of ease on ochre, the Russian is nevertheless having a very respectable season. Defending his title in Italy, he could even take advantage of the poor performances of his usual rivals to win Rome for a second time.

For a place in the quarter-finals, Baez will face Hubert Hurkacz this Monday, who defeated Nadal in the second round. Daniil Medvedev, for his part, will face Tommy Paul (16th), who has been very solid this week.