
World No.3 Daniil Medvedev kicked off his Madrid Open campaign with a grueling victory over Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, battling past the Spaniard to reach the Round of 16.
The second seed pulled off the 4-6 6-4 6-2 victory after two hours and 13 minutes, rallying from a set down to escape with the win. This victory also broke the Russian's six-match losing streak on clay, with perhaps the unique conditions in Madrid ultimately playing to his favor.
“I am happy with the win,” said Medvedev in his post-match interview. “The first set wasn’t easy and I thought it was going to be where I had another 25 break points and I wouldn’t win. I finally played quite well and did well in the third set. I think Madrid is a little faster than other clay tournaments, so better for my game.”
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The 2020 Nitto ATP Finals champion improves to an 18-3 record in 2021, and has a chance to capture the ATP No.1 ranking before Roland Garros. He would have to capture the title in Madrid, reach at least the semifinals in Rome and have current World No.1 Novak Djokovic not win either tournament.
Awaiting Medvedev in the next round is 16th seed Cristian Garin, who prevailed 6-3 6-4 over Germany's Dominik Koepfer.
Growing up in a household where soccer was king, my earliest memories are filled with chants from packed stadiums and the rhythm of a ball being passed across neighborhood streets. But somewhere along the way, the quiet elegance and raw emotion of tennis pulled me in. What began as a curiosity became a lifelong passion; not just for the sport itself, but for the stories it tells: of grit, of heartbreak, of improbable comebacks and human resilience.
As a tennis writer, I bring the observational lens of someone who didn’t grow up in the sport, but fell in love with it as an outsider; a perspective that lets me see both its technical beauty and its emotional depth. Over the years working with TennisUpToDate, I’ve had the privilege of reaching more than 3.5 million readers worldwide, with one of my features ranking among the site’s top three articles.
With a background in storytelling and a creative mind always searching for meaning beyond the scoreboard, I aim to craft narratives that go deeper than results and rankings. Whether it’s a rising star breaking through or a veteran fighting off Father Time, I try to capture the heartbeat behind the headlines.
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mandoist09-11-2026 - Ironically, Martina became a U.S. Citizen about the same time as the Orange Convicted Felon & Abuser was just beginning on his road to losing all Daddy's Millions!!
mandoist09-11-2026 - "Another fresh start is in the cards." Thanks for the Humor!! I'm guessing this is the minimum one can do to keep all your sponsors hanging-on in perpetuity?
mandoist09-11-2026 - Vukov is doing this to Lena... AGAIN!!!!! WTA's autonomous collective should be dismantled for allowing Vukov to re-emerge from his hand-slapping suspension. Just ask WTA employees how that's been going lately as they witness his continued verbal abuses. Women's Pro Tennis should start over.
mandoist08-11-2026 - Can't help but suspect Vukov is back to his old self again. Thank you, WTA. Perhaps you can give them a "Battling Couple of the Year Award 2026" ??
mandoist08-11-2026 - Wtf? Why is there no reason? And what about the men's?Bel08-11-2026
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mandoist06-11-2026 - Enough of her bullshit. Go marry someone.
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