Medvedev Battles Past Fognini In Tokyo To Reach QF

Second seed Daniil Medvedev overcame both the heat and Italian Fabio Fognini on Wednesday at the Tokyo Olympics as he moved into the quarter-finals.

The 25-year-old required two medical timeouts and a visit from the trainer due to the intense humidity before he rallied to defeat Fognini 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 in two hours and 26 minutes.

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The ROC star, who is making his Olympics debut this week, saved seven of the eight break points he faced in the match, winning 70 per cent (30/43) of his first-service points. Medvedev struck the ball with great depth as he raised his level in the crucial moments in the final set, converting both break points he had to advance.

The World No. 2 will next face Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta after the sixth seed moved past Germany’s Dominik Koepfer 7-6(7), 6-3.

Top seed Novak Djokovic eased past Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-3, 6-1 as the Serbian continued his bid to claim a historic Golden Grand Slam. The World No. 1 is aiming to become the first male player to win all four majors and a gold medal in a season, with WTA legend Stefanie Graf the only player to have completed this achievement back in 1988.

The 34-year-old captured the first three Grand Slam titles of the year to move level with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal on 20 majors. Djokovic produced a strong returning display on Wednesday, winning 51 per cent of points (22/43) on Davidovich Fokina's first serve to advance in 84 minutes.

Djokovic will meet Japan's Kei Nishikori in the last eight after the home favourite defeated Belarusian Ilya Ivashka 7-6(9), 6-0.

Greek star Stefanos Tsitsipas could not follow in the footsteps of Medvedev and Djokovic and reach the quarter-finals as the World No. 4 was upset by Frenchman Ugo Humbert. The 14th seed battled back to record a career-best win, defeating the third seed 2-6, 7-6(4), 6-2.

The 23-year-old, who lifted the NOVENTI OPEN title in June, fired 22 winners, taking his fourth match point to advance. Humbert will next play the ROC’s Karen Khachanov after the 25-year-old downed Argentine Diego Schwartzman 6-1, 2-6, 6-1 in two hours and one minute to join countryman Medvedev in the last eight.

Alexander Zverev was also in action as the German defeated Georgian Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-4, 7-6(5) in one hour and 39 minutes. The fourth seed, who hit 11 aces, failed to serve out the match at 5-4 in the second set but played aggressively in the tie-break to move through. Zverev next faces Jeremy Chardy after the Frenchman beat Brit Liam Broady 7-6(3), 4-6, 6-1.