IT HAS not been a good year for Russian Top 10 talent Daniil Medvedev with the former US Open winner crashing out of the ATP250 event in Marseille. While the top seed did reach the semi-finals, he barely gave a yelp in a frustrating 6-3 6-2 loss to Serbian Hamad Medjedovic.

Medjedovic took 73 minutes to complete the dominant performance in France, winning 76 per cent of his first serve points and breaking five times to two., The Serbian hit six more winners (17-11) and only three more unforced errors (25-22), producing a dominance rating of 1.42.

Though throughout his career the Serbian has threatened to take the next step and enter the Top 50, inconsistency has plagued him, with the youngster often missing out on qualifying for key events and battling along the Challenger Tour instead.

By reaching the Open 13 Provence final, Medjedovic has boosted his ranking 24 spots up to 72nd in teh world, with the 21-year-old creeping closer to automatic entry in almost all ATP250 events, and most ATP500 events which will help him gain consistent points to further rise up the rankings.

“I think I played one of my best matches of the week,” Medjedovic said post-match. “I am really happy. I delivered on my tactics, had a great performance and I am really happy to be through.”

In the 2023 Next Gen ATP Finals, Medjedovic beat now household names Arthur Fils and Alex Michelsen en route to the title, and now is on the verge of a career-first ATP Tour title. Having beaten Medvedev, the only player standing in his way is local hope and second seed, Ugo Humbert.

While Humbert lost his first ATP Tour final at the Paris Masters last year – having won his first six finals at the level – he will go in as strong favourite for the event. He defeated Belgian Zizou Bergs in straight sets, 6-4 6-4.

In other results across the globe, Michelsen was in action at Delray Beach as the last American hope, however he fell to seventh seed Miomir Kecmanovic in the semi-finals, going down 7-6 6-3. Kecmanovic will now take on Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina who backed up his impressive win over Taylor Fritz in the quarter finals to topple fourth seed Italian, Matteo Arnaldi.

Further south in Buenos Aires, Brazilian wunderkind Joao Fonseca had to overcome an almighty battle against Laslo Djere to advance to the Argentina Open final. Fonseca defeated Djere 7-6 5-7 6-1 and will now take on fifth seeded Francisco Cerundolo who proved too good for Spanish hope Pedro Martinez.

BUENOS AIRES – ATP250

SEMI-FINALS:

Joao Fonseca (BRA) defeated [Q] Laslo Djere (SRB) 7-6 5-7 6-1
[5] Francisco Cerundolo (ARG) defeated Pedro Martinez (ESP) 6-2 6-4

DELRAY BEACH – ATP250

SEMI-FINALS:

[8] Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (ESP) defeated [4] Matteo Arnaldi (ITA) 6-4 6-4
[7] Miomir Kecmanovic (SRB) defeated [3] Alex Michelsen (USA) 7-6 6-3

MARSEILLE – ATP250

SEMI-FINALS:

Hamad Medjedovic (SRB) defeated [1] Daniil Medvedev (RUS) 6-3 6-2
[2] Ugo Humbert (FRA) defeated Zizou Bergs (BEL) 6-4 6-4