ROME:
Daniil Medvedev’s Rome Open title defense ended early on Tuesday after the world number four was knocked out in the last 16 by Tommy Paul, while Iga Swiatek reached the women’s semi-finals.
Second-seeded Medvedev has never successfully defended his ATP Tour crown and was well below his best, stunned 6-1, 6-4 by American Paul to claim his first win against the former US Open champion .
“Mentally I should have been much better. I started to calm down and focus on the match only at the end of the match and it was too late,” Medvedev told reporters.
“It’s disappointing, to be honest. I wanted to do better here.”
Paul will play Hubert Hurkacz, who defeated Rafael Nadal earlier in the tournament, in his first Masters 1000 quarter-final on clay.
“I’ve had some pre-season practice on the clay court this year and it’s really helped. I’m really comfortable and having fun out here,” Paul said on the court.
Medvedev, 28, had a big chance at the Foro Italico after a host of stars either withdrew or were eliminated early, but instead became the latest big name to be kicked out of the final major tournament before this month’s French Open.
Rome is without its top four world-ranked men after Novak Djokovic pulled out on Sunday and Italian world number two Jannik Sinner and third-ranked Carlos Alcaraz pulled out with injuries ahead of the tournament.
Holger Rohn, who lost last year’s final to Medvedev, Madrid champion Andrei Rublev — ranked sixth in the world — and beaten finalist Felix Auger-Aliassim are also out.
Hoping to bounce back is world number five and 2017 Rome winner Alexander Zverev after he cruised past unseeded Nuno Borges 6-2, 7-5 to set up a quarter-final showdown with Taylor Fritz.
Reigning Monte Carlo champion Stefanos Tsitsipas meanwhile demolished Australia’s Alex de Minaur 6-1, 6-2 in one hour and will play Nicolas Jarry in the last eight.
World number one Swiatek continued her bid for a third Rome title in emphatic style, cruising past Madison Keys 6-1, 6-3 in the last four.
“Today I’m really proud of myself because I feel like I’m playing better and this was definitely the best day for me in Rome,” Swiatek said.
In the last four, Swiatek will face her toughest test in third seed Coco Gauff, who beat Zheng Qinwen 7-6 (7/4), 6-1 in the final match of the day on center court.
She maintained her hot form at the Foro Italico, where she is yet to drop a set, ahead of her French Open title defense later this month.
The three-time Roland Garros champion arrived in Rome after winning her third WTA 1000 title of the season in Madrid.
And she could yet become the first woman since Serena Williams in 2013 to win in the Spanish and Italian capitals in the same season.
Alejandro Tabillo’s fairytale continued after stunning 24-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic reached the quarter-finals by winning a highly entertaining battle with Karen Khachanov, 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (12/10).
Tabilo reached the last eight of a Masters 1000 event for the first time and will next play China’s Zhang Zhizhen.
“Just being in my first quarterfinal is an unreal feeling, I’m just trying to soak it all in right now. It’s a crazy feeling,” Tabilo said.
“With the win two days ago it was crazy. I just had to hang up and be with the team, be with the people around me and I’m glad I was able to refresh my mind. “
The 26-year-old had a much tougher time against 18th-ranked Khachanov, whose six tour titles have all come on hard courts, than against Djokovic.
Tabilo cruised through a thrilling second-set tiebreak that featured 11 service breaks, two set points for Khachanov and five match points, erupting with joy after the winning volley.
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