In the fourth round of today’s Rome ATP event, Andrey Rublev met German contender Yannick Hanfman and was edged in a tough three-set match by scores of 6 7 6 4 6 3. The session extended for two hours and thirty-two minutes, a lengthy encounter that tested both players’ resilience and shotmaking under the Italian sun.
Looking ahead, Hanfman earns a spot in the next round where he will meet the winner of the match between Alexander Zverev from Germany and Daniil Medvedev of Russia. The two powerhouses were set to clash later on the same day, a contest that promised to shape the balance of the draw.
Following the exit of Alexander Shevchenko from Italian star Yannick Sinner in the third round, the draw represented a solitary Russian presence in this stage of the competition, with Medvedev standing as the sole remaining Russian in the singles lineup. This development underscored a notable shift in the field as the tournament in Rome progressed toward its later rounds, drawing attention to Medvedev as a central figure in Russian tennis this season.
Rublev currently holds the sixth position in the ATP rankings, a standing that reflects his consistency and impact on the tour this year. Leading the rankings is Novak Djokovic from Serbia, whose ongoing success continues to define the top of the list. In second place sits Carlos Alcaraz from Spain, with Daniil Medvedev of Russia climbing into the third spot. A recent movement in the standings also saw a Norwegian player climb to challenge Medvedev, pushing Kasper Ruud down a notch and adjusting the order at the upper end of the table.
Recall that during the Madrid event, Rublev teamed with Karen Khachanov to secure the doubles title, defeating the Indian duo of Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden in the final with a scoreline of 6 3 3 6 10 3. The victory added a valuable milestone to Rublev and Khachanov’s shared results that season, highlighting their complementary skills across singles and doubles formats.
Earlier reports indicated that Khachanov and Rublev opted to withdraw from the Rome Masters doubles program, a decision that reshaped both players’ schedules and the doubles competition surface in the Italian capital. Observers noted the shift as part of a broader strategic approach to the spring hard-court season, with implications for how Russian players balanced singles commitments against doubles opportunities this year.