PETE ZIEBRON in CINCINNATI
Daniil Medvedev on his way to the Cincinnati Semifinals. Pete Ziebron Images
Andrey Rublev warming up prior to the Quarterfinal with Medvedev. Pete Ziebron Images
Daniil Medvedev continues to excel on the tennis court. On Friday in Cincinnati, the world number eight played his fourteenth match in eighteen days and defeated countryman Andrey Rublev 6-2 6-3 to advance to the semifinals at the Western & Southern Open.
Medvedev started fast and jumped to a 4-0 lead before being broken. However Rublev was broken at 15 when he served to stay in the opening set at 2-5 and Medvedev claimed the set in just twenty-nine minutes on Grandstand Court.
In the second set, Medvedev broke Rublev at love in the second game and each player would continue to hold serve for the rest of the set. In the final game, with Medvedev serving at 5-3, he hit three aces to bring his total to nine for the match.
Following the match, I asked Medvedev about playing a fellow Russian for two consecutive weeks in the late stages of a Masters 1000 (d. Khachanov last week in the Montreal semifinals). “I think it means it’s a bit more important to win against your countryman, and that’s why both matches were all a little bit tight and scared, I think. So I’m happy that both matches I was able to be the strongest this month.”
Next, Medvedev plays world number one and defending Western & Southern Open Champion Novak Djokovic on Saturday evening for the opportunity to play this second consecutive Masters 1000 Final in as many weeks. Both players have yet not dropped a set in Cincinnati and the victor will play the winner of the Richard Gasquet - David Goffin semifinal played Saturday afternoon.
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