Fils beats Tsitsipas, Medvedev advance in Rome

Arthur Fils continued his impressive recent ATP Masters 1000 record and his dominance against Stefanos Tsitsipas at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome on Sunday, when he advanced to the fourth round following a high-quality display.

The dynamic Frenchman recovered from a slow start on Grand Stand Arena, where he entertained the crowd with his flashy shotmaking to earn a comeback 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 victory against Tsitsipas in one hour and 55 minutes.

“I told him at the net he was playing unbelievable in the first set,” Fils said. “He was killing me with his forehand, his backhand, at the net. Serving very good. I could not do a lot of things but in the second set I started to find the rhythm and a way to fight and was happy to finish strong in the third.”

Fils played aggressively in the second and third sets, taking large cuts of the ball off both wings to pin Tsitsipas back, while he held his nerve down the closing stage to reach the fourth round at a Masters 1000 event for the fifth time in his past six events.

The 20-year-old, competing at a career-high No. 14 in the PIF ATP Rankings, has often found his best level at Masters 1000 level in 2025, advancing to quarter-finals in Indian Wells, Miami and Monte-Carlo.

At the ATP 500 event in Barcelona last month, Fils reached the semi-finals, moving past Tsitsipas on the way. He now holds a standout 4-0 Lexus ATP Head2Head series record against the former Nitto ATP Finals champion following his latest win.

“If you let him play, I think he is one of the best clay-court players,” Fils said on Tsitsipas. “His forehand is a huge weapon. I tried to put him under pressure because if I am not putting him under pressure I am dead.”

Fils is 7-2 against Top 20 players on clay since the start of 2024 and will look to improve that record when he meets the No. 2 in the PIF ATP Rankings Alexander Zverev in the fourth round. Zverev beat Lithuanian qualifier Vilius Gaubas 6-4, 6-0 in 86 minutes.

Daniil Medvedev was also an early winner on Day 5 in the Italian capital, where he dispatched Alexei Popyrin 6-4, 6-1.

Medvedev faces Lorenzo Musetti in the fourth round. The Italian recorded his 150th tour-level win with a 6-4, 6-3 victory against Brandon Nakashima.

Musetti is 20-4 on clay since last July, highlighted by winning bronze at the Paris Olympics in 2024 and reaching his first Masters 1000 final in Monte-Carlo in April. Backed by a vocal home crowd on Sunday, Musetti pulled Nakashima from corner to corner with his variety and explosive play.