Defending champ Medvedev earns 100th Masters 1000 win in Rome

Daniil Medvedev kick-started his title defence at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia on Saturday and earned his 100th match win at ATP Masters 1000 level with a gritty 7-5, 6-4 victory against Jack Draper.

The second seed absorbed the lefty’s firepower with brick-wall consistency, skillfully covering the entire court and wearing down Draper in lengthy baseline rallies. Medvedev displayed a contrast of court positioning, sticking tight to the baseline behind his serve but returning near the back wall at the Foro Italico.

“It was not easy,” said Medvedev, who committed 18 unforced errors to Draper’s 30. “I feel like the conditions are completely different from last year and also from Monte-Carlo and Madrid.

"Really slow and heavy here so I feel like honestly it’s tough to make a winner and that’s what I saw in all the other matches. You need to work the opponent left-right-left-right and you get tired and your opponent gets tired. I knew that before the match so I’m happy that I managed to stay stronger.”

Despite the one-hour, 47-minute triumph, it was not the cleanest day from the line for Medvedev, who in the first set made just 39 per cent of his first serves, according to Infosys ATP Stats. After being broken while serving for a one-set advantage at 5-4, Medvedev rebounded and closed the opener in his next service game, during which he fought off a break point.

The 28-year-old found his best level midway through the second set when he tallied 14 consecutive points to deflate Draper's hopes of earning the biggest win of his career. Medvedev also improved his consistency on serve as the match wore on, dropping just two points behind his first delivery in the second set to win his first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting with the Briton.

The World No. 4 in the PIF ATP Rankings was broken when serving for the match at 5-2 but stayed focussed to close the second-round match on his next attempt.

“It was good that I managed to get in front," Medvedev said of the second set. "Even if then he started to play better, it was enough to have the margin. Pretty happy with my level and looking forward."

Medvedev, now 23-6 on the season, retired from his Madrid quarter-final against Jiri Lehecka with a right leg issue but showed no signs of trouble moving in his Rome opener.

Achievement = unlocked 🔓⭐️👏

Defending champion @DaniilMedwed notches his 100th win at ATP Masters 1000 level, defeating Draper 7-5 6-4!@InteBNLdItalia | #IBI24 pic.twitter.com/mV6cDAPiDe

— ATP Tour (@atptour) May 11, 2024

"I did a good job with my team to be ready. I knew already two, three days ago that I’m feeling better and better," Medvedev said. "Two days before the tournament, I was going 100 per cent in practice so in a way I was not worried, but it’s good to finally [play] a match and be more sure that yes I can do it and I have no pain.”

Medvedev, who last year in Rome dropped just one set en route to his first tour-level clay-court crown, is aiming to defend a title for the first time in his career, having collected 20 trophies in as many locations.

A six-time ATP Masters 1000 champion, Medvedev next meets Serbian Hamad Medjedovic, who won last year’s Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF. The 20-year-old qualifier defeated 30th seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 7-6(4), 6-4 to advance to the third round.

Medvedev’s fellow seeds Alex de Minaur, Tommy Paul and Nicolas Jarry also booked their third-round spots on Saturday.

The ninth-seeded De Minaur breezed through his maiden Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting with Roberto Carballes Baena 6-3, 6-2. The Australian, who is now 24-9 for the season, will next face Madrid finalist Felix Auger-Aliassime or Botic van de Zandschulp.

Paul beat Aslan Karatsev 6-4, 6-2 for just his second main-draw win in Rome. The 14th-seeded American now prepares for a third-round clash with Dominik Koepfer, who upset Paul’s countryman Frances Tiafoe 6-4, 6-2. Jarry defeated home favourite Matteo Arnaldi 6-2, 7-6(6) to advance to face another home favourite in Stefano Napolitano, who accelerated to a 6-7(3), 6-1, 6-0 triumph against #NextGenATP star Shang Juncheng.