"I think he's a genius honestly": Corretja expects Medvedev and also Rune to impress at French Open

Former World No.1 Daniil Medvedev is primed for a spectacular run at this year's Roland Garros, with Danish star Holger Rune also set to dazzle, according to Eurosport analyst Alex Corretja.

Medvedev defeated Rune in the final of last week's Rome Open, winning not only his first career title on clay but his fifth ATP title of the season. Corretja believes this win will boost the Russian's confidence on clay, making him even more of a threat in Paris.

"He is unique, someone that you don't know what to think is on his mind because he is saying things when maybe he feels different things," said Corretja. "I think in his mind he's playing with the mind of everyone else, with the opponent, with the crowds. I think he's a genius, honestly.

“He is just definitely someone who is so tough to beat. He now knows how to play different on clay. He's hitting that forehand much harder than before, and his backhand is always deep, but he is coming a little bit closer from the baseline. He defends very well.

“I'm sure that playing against him best of five is not going to be any easy. He has time to do different things and he's got the patience. You need to be there for many hours to beat him, so you need to play very well if you want to be the best of five.”

Corretja also had high praise for Rune, stating the 20-year old would be a dangerous opponent at the French Open.

"He’s like a machine," stated Corretja. "He hits the ball hard. He works hard. He likes to win. He pushes himself to the limit. He's brave. He goes for it. And he's been playing supremely well. So he is going to be one of the contenders to do well at Roland-Garros.

“Of course, he's very young, but he showed already that he's not afraid of anything and he just wants to go with himself, with his personality, and he's very explosive."