Home hope Medjedovic masters Cerundolo, books Belgrade SF spot

  • Posted: Nov 07, 2024

After an up and down year, is Hamad Medjedovic ready to wrap 2024 in style at the Belgrade Open?

The home favourite on Thursday eased past third seed Francisco Cerundolo 6-4, 6-2 to reach the semi-finals at the indoor hard-court ATP 250. Medjedovic channelled the support of a raucous crowd in the Serbian capital to register the joint-biggest win of his career against the World No. 29 Cerundolo.

“I think it was tough, but when you have a crowd like this, it’s crazy,” said Medjedovic. “I’m playing really good here. I’m feeling amazing in front of my crowd. I think I really found my level after a long time. I was working hard to find it, but in today’s match I think I played the best so far and I’m happy that I won.”

With his win, Medjedovic improved his tour-level record for the season to 8-7. The 2023 Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF champion’s progress has been disrupted this year: He did not play an ATP Tour match until April after being laid low by a virus, and has since found wins at that level hard to come by. He did reach an ATP Challenger Tour final in Istanbul in early September, however, and this week on home soil has begun to show signs of his best form.

Having defeated Americans Brandon Nakashima and Aleksandar Kovacevic across his opening two rounds, Medjedovic powered past Cerundolo with a confident display in the pair’s maiden Lexus ATP Head2Head clash. The 21-year-old converted four of 10 break points he earned, according to Infosys ATP Stats.

“With these kinds of players, top players, you have to be focused throughout the whole match,” reflected Medjedovic. “I think I was losing my focus in the beginning of the second set, but I was trying to hold my nerves and trying to be better and better. I think in the middle of the second set I found my level again and I was playing good.”

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Medjedovic has risen 32 spots to No. 124 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings as a result of his run in Belgrade so far. His opponent in his third ATP Tour semi-final will be another Serbian, Laslo Djere. The 29-year-old Djere earlier downed Fabian Marozsan 6-4, 6-2.

Jiri Lehecka and Denis Shapovalov will face off in the other semi-final in Belgrade. The fourth-seeded Lehecka overcame Lukas Klein 3-6, 7-6(3), 6-3 for his 30th tour-level win of the year. Meanwhile qualifier Shapovalov defeated Christopher O’Connell 6-2, 6-2 to advance to his first ATP Tour semi-final since his run to the Vienna championship match in 2022.

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