Second-seeded Daniil Medvedev of Russia recorded a 6-4, 6-3 win over Italian qualifier Andrea Vavassori in their second-round match on Saturday at the Mutua Madrid Open.
The third-ranked Medvedev saved all three break points he faced to win the 82-minute match and improve to 32-4 on the year.
“I played well today. I felt (good),” the 27-year-old Medvedev said. “There were some tight moments in the match, but when we had rallies from the baseline, I felt like many times I was in control. I’m really happy about my level.”
Medvedev will continue his pursuit of his fifth tour-level trophy of the season against his next opponent: qualifier Alexander Shevchenko of Russia. The 22-year-old Shevchenko converted all five break points he received and cruised to a 6-1, 6-1 rout of 31st-seeded Jiri Lehecka of the Czech Republic.
Serbia’s Dusan Lajovic knocked off his third straight top-10 opponent after upending seventh-seeded Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime, 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (5). Lajovic previously toppled top-ranked Novak Djokovic and No. 6 Andrey Rublev en route to capturing the Banja Luka title last week.
“It was super tight at the end,” Lajovic said. “”I was just hoping that he was going to stay back on my serve, because when he was coming in, I was feeling a lot of pressure.
“We opened up the last point. I tried to play heavy on my forehand but because my hand was tight, it was really going short until in the end (one) came up well.”
Lajovic will face Jan-Lennard Struff in the next round. The German rallied to a 4-6, 7-6 (4), 7-5 win over Ben Shelton.
Eighth-seeded Taylor Fritz posted a 7-6 (11), 6-4 win over Australian Christopher O’Connell, and ninth-seeded Frances Tiafoe also won in straight sets — 6-3, 7-6 (5) — over Tomas Martin Etcheverry of Argentina.
No. 11-seed Cameron Norrie outlasted Japan’s Yosuke Watanuki, 6-4, 7-6 (5).
No. 14-seed Tommy Paul, No. 19 Daniel Evans of Great Britain, 21st-seeded Denis Shapovalov of Canada, No. 23 Botic van de Zandschulp of the Netherlands, 24th-seeded Francisco Cerundolo of Argentina and No. 27 Miomir Kecmanovic of the Serbia were not as fortunate.
Russian Roman Safiullin secured a 6-3, 7-6 (3) win over Paul, Spaniard Bernabe Zapata Miralles coasted to a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Evans and China’s Zhizhen Zhang notched a 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (1) win over Shapovalov.
Russian Aslan Karatsev notched a 6-2, 7-5 triumph over van de Zandschulp, Pedro Cachin posted a 6-1, 7-6 (6) win over countryman Cerundolo while Chilean Cristian Garin secured a 7-6 (3), 6-7 (5), 6-4 win over Kecmanovic.
Also on Saturday, 16th-seeded Alex de Minaur recorded a 6-4, 7-6 (5) win over Italian Marco Cecchinato while 25th-seeded Sebastian Baez of Argentina overcame a first-set loss to post a 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory over Marcos Giron.
In Saturday’s final match, No. 4 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece stormed back from an opening-set loss to capture a 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (5) victory over Austrian wild card Dominic Thiem.
–Field Level Media
