Schwartzman sets up QF match with Medvedev
Schwartzman and Medvedev will meet in a quarter-final matchup after the former dispatched his opponent quickly but the Russian took three sets.
Schwartzman Paris 2020
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Paris Masters, round of 16
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SCHWARTZMAN (No 6) d. DAVIDOVICH FOKINA 6-1, 6-1
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MEDVEDEV d. DE MINAUR 5-7, 6-2, 6-2
- Key info: Schwartzman took care of an inconsistent Davidovich Fokina, while Medvedev came back over the young gun De Minaur.
- You will also learn: An intriguing baseline matchup is set between two of the top eight seeds in the tournament.
- Why read this story: Schwartzman is very much the last man in the ATP Finals race, and he’s now one win away from doing so.
Argentine smooth sailing
Diego Schwartzman looked imperious in the scoreline, but it was Alejandro Davidovich Fokina who failed to gain any momentum and missing badly on a good amount of his errors in the Argentine’s 6-1, 6-1 victory lasting only 61 minutes.
His forehand was fueling a lot of his frustrations as well, as his topspin shots simply was not on today and he sent a couple of those looping way off beyond the lines.
Schwartzman was restless to start, but that was only contained to a first game that saw him saving four break points. He broke to go up to a 3-0 lead in the first, and finished out the set 6-1 with another break in 33 minutes.
The second set very much followed the script of the first, with the world No 9 taking a 4-0 lead this time with two breaks, and Davidovich Fokina just able to break up the bagel with a hold of serve before the Argentine ended the match. He paid respects to Diego Maradona, the Argentinian football legend who recently. underwent brain surgery, after the match.
A close tussle
The first set was a close one to start, with Medvedev breaking in the first game but De Minaur equalled the playing field in the sixth game to tie it up 3-3. The two held up until the last game of the set, where the Australian seized the first break point of that game to go up 7-5.
It was all Medvedev in the second, though, as the third seed broke to start again and consolidated with another break to go up 4-1, and then serving the double-break lead out 6-2.
The young Australian avoided the slow start by finally holding to start, but couldn’t dodge the Medvedev onslaught afterward with the Russian winning five straight games. That was all she wrote despite a De Minaur hold, as Medvedev served out the match.
A win for Schwartzman against Medvedev will secure his spot in the ATP Finals regardless of how Pablo Carreno Busta does in the Paris Masters.
