Clay-court Daniil as we like him: Medvedev grinds past Landaluce in Rome
Daniil Medvedev (No 7) lost the opening set 6-1 in 22 minutes, missed three match points at 5-4 in the third, and still walked off Campo Centrale a Rome semi-finalist. The Russian outlasted Spanish lucky loser Martin Landaluce 1-6, 6-4, 7-5. Sinner now.
Daniil Medvedev, 2026 | © Inside / PsNewz
Russian No. 7 seed Daniil Medvedev came through a near-three-hour duel of swinging momentum and razor-thin margins to defeat Spanish lucky loser Martin Landaluce 1-6, 6-4, 7-5 in the quarter-finals of the Rome ATP Masters 1000, reaching his first semi-final at the Foro Italico since his title run in 2023 and setting up a meeting with Jannik Sinner.
The first set was a hammering. Landaluce, ranked outside the top 50, played the cleaner tennis – clean enough to take it 6-1 with little resistance. Medvedev shifted gears in the second, breaking once and serving the set out 6-4 to level.
The third was where Medvedev did what Medvedev does on clay. Landaluce broke first to lead 3-2 on serve, then watched the Russian grind him back into the contest – long rallies, deep balls, no shortcuts.
Landaluce saved three match points but…
The closing game was the story. Serving at 5-4, Landaluce saved three match points but could not hold off the pressure indefinitely. He held to 6-5, and then was broken to love in his next service game, the Russian closing it out on a Landaluce error. The last 10 points of the match went 8-2 to Medvedev.
The numbers reflected how thin the margins were. Total points went a difference of two points across 186 played. The Spaniard outhit Medvedev on winners (34 to 27) but undid himself with the rest: 39 unforced errors to Medvedev’s 24, eight double faults to three (the three to give the break in the opening game of the third). Landaluce was efficient on his own break points (five from seven), but Medvedev kept manufacturing chances – 15 break points to Landaluce’s seven, five converted — and waited for the cracks to show up.
Medvedev happy with the level
It is Medvedev’s 18th career Masters 1000 semi-final and his 24th match win of 2026, the third-most on tour this season. He has not been a clay-court devotee, but he has now reached the semi-finals here three times.
Asked afterwards about his level in the closing games, Medvedev was measured. “I think I played the last two matches great. First set today, of course, I could play better, because I lost it 6-1. At the same time, I don’t think I had much to do there. And third set, really high level. Especially at the end. I felt like I got a bit unlucky and could have been more decisive to win before. But I love the way I was playing.”
Medvedev will face top seed Jannik Sinner in the semi-finals, the Italian on a record 32-match Masters 1000 winning streak. The other semi-final, between Casper Ruud and Luciano Darderi, will fix the rest of the cast for Sunday.
