The entire fourth round of the Rome Masters will be played on Tuesday, and it includes a showdown between Andrey Rublev and Nikoloz Basilashvili. Lucky loser Martin Landaluce tries to keep it going against Hamad Medjedovic.
(12) Andrey Rublev vs. Nikoloz Basilashvili
Two of the biggest forehands in tennis will be on display in the Internazionali BNL d’Italia fourth round when Rublev and Basilashvili square off for the eighth time in their careers on Tuesday. They have not met on clay since 2019, when Basilashvili triumphed 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 in the Hamburg final. Rublev leads the overall head-to-head series 4-3, with his victories coming on indoor hard courts (twice), an outdoor hard court, and grass.
Although Rublev may not be in peak form these days, his appearance in the last 16 is no surprise. The 14th-ranked Russian has advanced at the Foro Italico with straight-set victories over Miomir Kecmanovic and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. That Basilashvili is still alive in Rome is a considerable shock. The 34-year-old Georgian, who dropped out of the top 1000 a couple of seasons ago, qualified for the main draw and then ousted Daniel Merida, Ben Shelton, and Brandon Nakashima. Both of these big hitters can go off the rails at any time, but Basilashvili is far more likely to suffer that fate. The world No. 117 also generally doesn’t do well when he runs into the occasional opponent who can bludgeon the ball just as big as he does from the baseline.
Pick: Rublev in 2
Hamad Medjedovic vs. (LL) Martin Landaluce
Landaluce appeared to be on the next flight out of Rome when he lost to Andrea Pellegrino in the final round of qualifying, but that would not be where the story ends. In fact, it was just beginning. Landaluce got a lucky-loser spot in the main draw when Valentin Vacherot withdrew, and to say that the 20-year-old Spaniard has made the most of it would be a gross understatement. Following a first-round bye in Vacherot’s place, Landaluce cruised past both Marin Cilic and Mattia Bellucci in straight sets.
Up next for the world No. 94 on Tuesday is a second meeting with Medjedovic, who won their only previous encounter 6-4, 6-2 at the 2024 Istanbul Challenger. The 22-year-old hasn’t really taken off since triumphing at the 2023 NextGen ATP Finals, but he is starting to put it together. Medjedovic will surpass his career-high mark of No. 57 when the new rankings come out thanks to victories this fortnight over Valentin Royer, Joao Fonseca (in a third-set tiebreaker), and Mariano Navone. The Serb has been the more consistent player so far in Rome and his defeat of Fonseca was especially gutsy, so it would be no surprise if he has the edge late in what should be a competitive contest.
Pick: Medjedovic in 3