Karen Khachanov reached the quarterfinals of the Monte Carlo Masters for the first time by defeating fellow Russian Daniil Medvedev 6-3, 7-5 on Thursday.
Khachanov will face two-time Monte Carlo champion Stefanos Tsitsipas in the next round, who overcame Alexander Zverev 7-5, 7-6 (3) in the clay-court tournament.
Tsitsipas lost a big lead in the second set but managed to win the tiebreaker, improving his record against Zverev to 10-5.
Medvedev, despite winning his first clay-court tournament last year in Rome, still feels uncomfortable on the surface.
Khachanov’s victory, with 11 winners and only three unforced errors in the second set, boosts his confidence for the rest of the tournament.
Khachanov admitted that while he hasn’t won titles on clay like Medvedev, his overall results on the surface might be better.
During the match, Medvedev lost his temper and received a point penalty for yelling at the chair umpire.
Later, top-ranked Novak Djokovic faced Lorenzo Musetti, while Alex de Minaur advanced to the quarterfinals with a win over Alexei Popyrin.
