Home ROME ATP - SINGLES TENNIS Medvedev Survives Landaluce Scare to Book Rome Semi-Final Showdown with Sinner

Medvedev Survives Landaluce Scare to Book Rome Semi-Final Showdown with Sinner

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Daniil Medvedev
Medvedev survives Landaluce scare

Medvedev survives Landaluce scare in Rome QF, coming back from 1-6, 3-2 down. Sets up blockbuster semi-final clash with world No. 1 Jannik Sinner.


Rain, breaks, match points saved - Medvedev vs Landaluce had it all. How the 2023 Rome champ survived to set up a Sinner showdown...


There are matches you win, and there are matches you survive. On Thursday at the Foro Italico, Daniil Medvedev did the latter.


The 2023 Rome champion looked down and out early, dropping the first set 1-6 to 20-year-old Spanish lucky loser Martin Landaluce. Landaluce, who only got into the main draw after 14th seed Valentin Vacherot withdrew injured, played like he had nothing to lose. He raced to 5-0 in 20 minutes, striking the ball with “depth and precision” and converting two early breaks.  


But Medvedev has built a career on problem-solving. Helped by a brief rain interruption with the Russian leading 3-2 in the second, the No. 7 seed reset. He broke three times in set two while Landaluce answered with two of his own, before Medvedev struck decisively in the 10th game to take it 6-4.  


The decider was pure theater. Landaluce broke first to lead 3-2, and the pair traded blows in rallies that had the Rome crowd on their feet. Serving at 5-4, the Spaniard saved three match points, held, and forced Medvedev to serve it out. He couldn’t. Medvedev broke to love in the next game, closing a 1-6, 6-4, 7-5 win after nearly three hours.  




The stats tell the story of how fine the margins were. Total points: 186, with Medvedev winning by just two. Landaluce actually out-hit him on winners 34 to 27, but 39 unforced errors and 8 double faults undid the upset bid. Medvedev, meanwhile, created 15 break chances and converted five.  


“He played unreal in the beginning,” Medvedev said post-match. “If he played like he did in the first set for every set of every match, [he would be] Top 5 by the end of the year.”


What’s Next: Sinner Awaits


The win sends Medvedev into his first Rome semi-final since lifting the trophy in 2023. Waiting for him is world No. 1 Jannik Sinner, who set a new record of 32 straight Masters 1000 wins by beating Andrey Rublev 6-2, 6-4.  


For Landaluce, it’s the end of a dream run. The former junior No. 1 and 2022 US Open boys’ champion showed he belongs at this level. For Medvedev, it’s another clay-court grind survived - his 50th tour-level win on the surface.  


Friday, May 15. Sinner vs Medvedev. Rome won’t want to miss it.



Key Takeaways

  • The turnaround: After a 1-6 first set, Medvedev found rhythm post-rain delay and “felt like I was controlling the game from this point.”
  • Landaluce’s rise: At 20, the lucky loser was two points from his first Masters 1000 semi-final. 

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