Medvedev Overcomes Nakashima to Reach Madrid Masters 1000 Quarterfinals

Daniil Medvedev aims to take advantage of the open field at the end of this tournament to make a statement in Madrid. Following the early exits of Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Holger Rune, and defending champion Andrey Rublev (not to mention the absences of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz), the Russian has stepped up.

After a first-round bye and Laslo Djere’s withdrawal in the second round, Medvedev has played only two matches to reach the quarterfinals. Following his win against Juan Manuel Cerundolo (6-2, 6-2), the world No. 10 confirmed his form against Brandon Nakashima, despite a shaky start.

The American was opportunistic, converting both of his break chances in the first set and putting himself in a strong position to advance. But Medvedev, who mixed strong serving with inconsistency (7 aces against 7 double faults), eventually turned the match around.

With 30 winners, he broke four times across the last two sets to secure his quarterfinal spot on his fifth match point (3-6, 6-1, 6-4).

For the 23rd time in his career, Medvedev advances to the Final 8 of a Masters 1000 event and will face the winner of the clash between Casper Ruud and Taylor Fritz for a spot in the semifinals.