New Delhi: Italian qualifier Mattia Bellucci registered a shocking victory over former world number one Daniil Medvedev in a tough three-setter on Wednesday to reach the ATP Rotterdam Open quarterfinals. The 23-year-old talented left-hander, with a career-high ranking of 92, came through 6-3, 6-7, 6-3 to record a first win over a top 10 opponent.
The Italian tennis player, who reached the last-eight stage in Atalanta in 2024, will next face sixth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas or Dutch player Tallon Griekspoor for a spot in the semi-finals. The clash will be quite a tough affair for the Italian player considering the kind of opponents he will be up against. Bellucci held his nerve tightly in the decider, where he managed to save six break points, after squandering a match point in the second set tie-break against the 2023 champion in Rotterdam.
Medvedev’s fantastic campaign ends
Daniil Medvedev, who’s a former US Open champion, had a fantastic campaign in the ongoing event which was unfortunately ended by the talented Italian player. Medvedev, ranked seventh, had beaten veteran Stan Wawrinka in the first round but has overall encountered struggles since the start of the new season, having gone down in just the second round of the first Grand Slam of the season – the Australian Open 2025 last month.
After the game, an elated Bellucci said that he enjoyed every moment of the match and tried to do the best he could. He said that he feels delighted after beating a champion player like Medvedev. ‘It was a three-hour match and I really enjoyed every moment of it. I really tried to do the best I could. I’m pretty tired but I’m happy,’ said Bellucci. ‘I was going for the serve and volley which is not something I’m used to doing but it worked pretty good today.’
The Italian tennis player, who reached the last-eight stage in Atalanta in 2024, will next face sixth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas or Dutch player Tallon Griekspoor for a spot in the semi-finals. Tennis Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
