Daniil Medvedev is into the quarterfinals in Madrid where he will take on Jiri Lehecka, who knocked out Rafael Nadal in the round of 16.
Russia’s Daniil Medvedev is something of a wildcard on surfaces other than hardcourts. The No. 3 seed could as easily win an event on the “natural” surfaces (grass and clay) as lose in the first round. Case in point, Medvedev won the Rome Masters last year, then marched straight into Roland-Garros and promptly lost in the first round to Thiago Seyboth Wilde.
He has been hit or miss in Madrid this week. He was close to bowing out to Sebastian Korda in the third round and while he won in straight sets over Alexander Bublik, he had some patches of scratchy play. Opponent Jiri Lehecka, who took out Rafael Nadal on Tuesday, may well be his trickiest opponent yet.
The surface and altitude favor Lehecka’s game, and he’s playing well this week. Certainly Nadal is not the clay court behemoth he has been in the past, but beating him in Madrid is still an achievement. Officially, Medvedev has a 1-0 record over Lehecka, but it was match at Wimbledon which saw the Czechia player retire after losing the second set.
Given that they’re playing on clay and that Medvedev has looked a bit vulnerable this week, Lehecka is bound to have opportunities for the “upset”. Look for the No, 30 seed to have chances, but Medvedev should sneak through in 3.
Cheryl pick – Medvedev in 3
WWW: Medvedev vs. Lehecka?
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