Rome QF previews and predictions: Tsitsipas vs. Coric, Medvedev vs. Hanfmann

The last two quarterfinal matches in Rome will take center stage on Thursday, headlined by Stefanos Tsitsipas vs. Borna Coric. Only one unseeded player remains, as qualifier Yannick Hanfmann will go up against Daniil Medvedev.

(5) Stefanos Tsitsipas vs. (15) Borna Coric

The head-to-head history between Tsitsipas and Coric isn’t overly extensive heading into Thursday’s quarterfinal action at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, but this matchup has quietly become one of the better rivalries in tennis. Coric has won three of their last four encounters to take a 3-2 lead, a stretch that began with an absolute miracle comeback en route to a 6-7(2), 6-4, 4-6, 7-5, 7-6(4) victory at the 2020 U.S. Open. He also prevailed twice in 2022 (Cincinnati final and Vienna second round) before Tsitsipas got the job done 6-0, 6-7(4), 7-5 to kick off this season at the United Cup.

They have faced each other only once on clay (also at the Rome Masters in 2018) and it ended with Coric retiring down 4-1 in the first set. Although that result can be thrown out the window, clay does favor Tsitsipas. The fifth-ranked Greek is a two-time Monte-Carlo champion and he finished runner-up at the 2021 French Open. Coric is solid on clay, but he has never reached a clay-court final outside of the ATP 250 in Marrakech (one title, one runner-up). Tsitsipas has been the more impressive of the two so far in Rome (he hasn’t dropped a single set) and that should continue in the quarters.

Pick: Tsitsipas in 3

(Q) Yannick Hanfmann vs. (3) Daniil Medvedev

Thanks entirely to the surface, this first-ever meeting between Medvedev and Hanfmann could be an interesting one. Clay is Medvedev’s worst surface, it is by far Hanfmann’s best. The question is: will the surface be enough of a factor to give the German an overall edge in this matchup?

Probably not. Although it’s too early to put Medvedev in serious French Open title contention, he is showing signs of improvement on the red stuff. The world No. 3 reached the quarterfinals in Monte-Carlo and has done the same in Rome, defeating Emil Ruusuvuori, Bernabe Zapata Miralles, and Alexander Zverev so far this fortnight. Hanfmann is playing the best tennis of his life and just upset Andrey Rublev in the fourth round, but to say that this is the biggest match of the 31-year-old’s career would be an understatement. He has never been on a stage quite like this, and Medvedev–as usual–will camp out near the back wall and make Hanfmann hit ball after ball in grueling rallies. Even on his favorite surface, it’s a tough task for the underdog.

Pick: Medvedev in 2