Rome Quarterfinal Previews: Daniil Medvedev vs. Yannick Hanfmann; Stefanos Tsitsipas vs. Borna Coric

It’s the season for German 30-somethings to come from next-to-nowhere and thrive, apparently. Two weeks ago in Madrid, 33-year-old Jan-Lennard Struff went from lucky loser to runner-up. Now, in Rome, the 31-year-old, 101st-ranked Hanfmann has emerged from qualifying to make the quarterfinals. Since last Tuesday, he has recorded six wins, and beaten two seeds, Taylor Fritz and Andrey Rublev, along the way.

Can Hanfmann upset his even-higher-ranked quarterfinal opponent in their first-ever meeting on Thursday? Medvedev often makes his exit in the middle rounds of clay-court Masters events, but this week he may be more motivated by the field he sees around him. No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz is gone and No. 2 Novak Djokovic are gone, which leaves Medvedev as the highest-ranked player left. Could he use that opening to build some much-needed credibility and confidence on dirt? He looked pretty resilient in straight-setting Hanfmann’s countryman Alexander Zverev in his last match. Winner: Medvedev

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Coric is 3-1 against Tsitsipas in completed matches; Tsitsipas didn’t get a win against him until this January at United Cup, 7-5 in the third set.

Stefanos Tsitsipas vs. Borna Coric

If, for some strange reason, we were ever to count down the 10 best matches from the pandemic, when there were no fans in the seats, Coric’s lonely, after-midnight miracle comeback win over Tsitsipas at the 2020 US Open would be near the top of the list. But that wasn’t the only time the Croat has emerged victorious against the higher-ranked and more-accomplished Greek. Coric is 3-1 against Tsitsipas in completed matches; Tsitsipas didn’t get a win against him until this January at United Cup, 7-5 in the third set.

Coric hasn’t faced any elite competition so far in Rome, but put this run together with his semifinal appearance in Madrid, and we can see that his early-season slump is over. But Tsitsipas, who hasn’t dropped a set in Rome, and who made the final here a year ago, should still have the shot-making edge on clay. Winner: Tsitsipas

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