ROTTERDAM — Defending champion Felix Auger-Aliassime and Daniil Medvedev have set a blockbuster quarter-final showdown at the Rotterdam Open after comfortable second-round victories.
Third-seeded Auger-Aliassime served nine aces in a 6-4, 6-3 win over French qualifier Gregoire Barrere. But the Canadian will look to improve his lackluster 50 per cent first-serve percentage before coming up against Medvedev.
Medvedev saved all six break points faced in his 6-2, 6-2 win over Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp.
Medvedev has won all four of his meetings with Felix, but three have gone the distance, including a 2022 Australian Open quarter-final meeting, in which Medvedev rallied from two sets down to win. The World No. 11 is expecting another close battle.
“The further you go, normally the higher-ranked players you play,” Medvedev said.
“Felix is a top player. He won here last year and played amazing at the end of last year. Looking forward to a tough match and hopefully I can be at my best.
“The harder your opponent, the more you’re going to feel you have to play better. He’s going to take his opportunities. He’s going to go for it when he has the chance. I will need to be at my best.”
Alex de Minaur escaped Montpellier finalist Maxime Cressy 7-5, 3-6, 6-3. The 23-year-old backed up his straight-sets upset over second seed Andrey Rublev with a clean performance, committing just nine unforced errors to Cressy’s 33.
In the final set, de Minaur converted one of two break points to pull away from serve-and-volleyer Cressy, who didn’t have any break chances in the decider. De Minaur will next take on Grigor Dimitrov in the quarter-finals.
In other last 16 action, Michael Mmoh is feeling right at home at the Delray Beach Open after his second straight three-set win earned him a place in the quarter-finals of the Florida ATP.
The 25-year-old, who was born in Saudi Arabia and holds both American and Australian citizenship, upset third seed Denis Shapovalov 7-5, 3-6, 6-3.
Mmoh stormed back from 1-4 down in the opening set, then escaped 0/40 at 2-2 in the third before claiming his third break late in the set and serving out the victory.
“It’s amazing,” Mmoh said after winning in front of the supportive Delray Beach crowd.
After riding a hot start in his first-round win against fellow American Aleksandar Kovacevic, Mmoh overcame a slow opening against Shapovalov, who suffered his third straight tour-level defeat.
“I think I just started off a little flat,” he said. “I just tried to tell myself to increase the energy… I wanted, win or lose, just to have energy. That got me back in the first set, and unfortunately I lost the second but my energy was there throughout. I think that’s part of the reason I got the W.”
Mmoh will face Mackenzie McDonald in the quarter-finals after the American’s 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 upset of fifth seed Yoshihito Nishioka.
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