(Acapulco) Daniil Medvedev and Rafael Nadal easily advanced to the quarter-finals of the Acapulco tournament on Wednesday, and everything indicates that they will cross swords later in the tournament.
Updated at 1:05 a.m.
Medvedev moved one step closer to his goal of becoming the No. 1 racket in the world after a win over Pablo Andujar in the second round.
The 26-year-old Russian needed just over an hour to defeat Andujar in straight sets 6-1, 6-2.
Nadal defeated Stefan Kozlov 6-0, 6-3.
PHOTO PEDRO PARDO, AGENCY FRANCE-PRESSE
Rafael Nadal
If Medvedev beats Taylor Fritz or Yoshihito Nishioka in the quarter-finals and Nadal overcomes Tommy Paul, the two players will meet in the semi-finals.
Last month in the US Open final, Nadal came from behind to defeat Medvedev in five sets. He thus landed a 21and career Grand Slam title — a record.
Paul reached the quarter-finals by virtue of a 7-6 (6), 2-6, 7-5 win over Dusan Lajovic.
Medvedev will rise to No. 1 in the world, currently held by Novak Djokovic, if he wins the tournament.
“If I succeed, it will have a special meaning for me, admitted the Russian. It will be fun, but I have to get there first. My main goal is to win as many games as possible over the next few weeks. »
Medvedev clinched his first Grand Slam title last September when he beat Djokovic in the US Open final.
Nadal already has three crowns in Acapulco, in 2005, 2013 and 2020. He needed an hour, 16 minutes to defeat Kozlov.
The 35-year-old Spaniard is 12-0 in 2022.
“I never paid attention to those numbers, to be honest. I’m getting ready to play,” said Nadal, who has struggled with injuries in recent years.
“I’ve had complicated months, but I feel better. So beyond winning, it’s important for me to play. »
In other matches on Wednesday, Stefanos Tsitsipas toppled JJ Wolf 6-1, 6-0 to secure their place in the quarter-finals.
There he will face Marcos Giron, who defeated Pablo Carreño Busta 6-7 (7), 6-4, 7-6 (4).
Cameron Norrie beat John Isner 6-7(2), 6-3, 6-4 and will face Peter Gojowczyk in the quarter-finals.
Gojowczyk had a second-round bye due to the ejection from the tournament of Alexander Zverev, who hit his racket against the referee’s chair after losing a doubles match the day before.