For the Russian, Rome was until this year mainly the occasion of a few days of vacation before joining Paris and Roland-Garros, after falling in his first match, which happened to him in 2018, 2019 and 2021.

"When I lost in Rome, I usually spent a few days here with my wife. There, I have less time. When you're still qualified, you're not going to go sightseeing, to the Vatican or to the Colosseum," he smiled.

The 27-year-old Russian will not complain: he has booked a ticket to the last four, having dropped only one set in his four victories this year, after easily beating (6-2, 6-2, in 1h20) the German Yannick Hanfmann (101st in the world), from qualifying.

At the age of 31, Hanfmann was playing his first quarter-final in Masters 1000. Assured of reaching the gates of the Top 60 in the next ATP rankings, he dreamed of a new feat against a member of the Top 10, after eliminating Andrey Rublev (N.6) in the quarters and Taylor Fritz (N.9) in the 2nd round.

He tried at the beginning of the match to destabilize the Russian with some cushions, but was too brittle on his stakes (three breaks per round) to hope to compete.

- 'Sad' for Nadal -

Confident, relying on a good first ball despite many double faults, Medvedev remained applied to equal his best performance on clay in a Masters 1000 (category below Grand Slams), after a semi-final played in Monte-Carlo in 2019.

Daniil Medvedev signs autographs after his quarter-final at the Masters 1000 in Rome, May 18, 2023 © Tiziana FABI / AFP

Confirming his good season on ochre (quarters in Monte-Carlo), he will challenge in the semifinals the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas (N.5), finalist last year, or the Croatian Borna Coric (N.15).

"I said before the tournament that I felt great in training. It's always risky to say that because if you lose in the first round... But I'm showing it," he told reporters.

From there to dream of a first title on clay after eighteen on hard and one on grass, after the eliminations of the holder Novak Djokovic (N.1) and the pretender Carlos Alcaraz (N.2)?

"I'm certainly not the favourite, but I played extremely well here, so if I can play well in the semi-finals, I can give my opponent a hard time," Medvedev said.

He can now dream of reaching Sunday a final that will be played without Djokovic (6 titles) or Nadal (10 titles), which has not happened in Rome for almost twenty years, in 2004.

Handshake between Daniil Medvedev and surprising qualifier Yannick Hanfmann at the Foro Italico, May 18, 2023 © Tiziana FABI / AFP

On court when "Rafa" announced his withdrawal from Roland Garros (May 28-June 11), Medvedev regretted this "sad news" while saying he was "happy to hear that he was going to try to come back".

However, he remarked with a touch of greed, "it opens up possibilities for many players" in Paris.

© 2023 AFP