Medvedev Ignites His Game in Almaty as the Turin Race Heats Up…
The former World No. 1 moves to his third consecutive ATP Tour semi-final.
October 17, 2025
Andrey Udartsev/Almaty Open
Daniil Medvedev stands 13th in the PIF ATP Live Race to Turin.
By Jerome Coombe
Daniil Medvedev remains a strong contender for the Nitto ATP Finals, showcasing his prowess with a remarkable performance at the Almaty Open this week.
The former ATP Rankings No. 1 faced early challenges but rallied against Fabian Marozsan, winning 7-5, 6-2, to secure his spot in another ATP Tour semi-final. Medvedev saved three crucial set points while serving at 4-5 in the first set, eventually finding his rhythm with 27 winners contrasted by only 12 unforced errors.
“The first set was quite intense; I had to fend off three set points,” Medvedev reflected. “I’m thrilled about my performance, especially after overcoming that hurdle. I served exceptionally well today and elevated my game when it mattered. I hope to maintain this level.”
With this victory, Medvedev climbs two positions to 13th in the PIF ATP Live Race to Turin, having started October in 20th. He is reinforcing his bid for a seventh consecutive appearance at the Nitto ATP Finals.
Following semi-final appearances in Beijing and Shanghai, Medvedev now looks forward to a semi-final duel against qualifier James Duckworth, who has recently upset third seed Flavio Cobolli 6-3, 6-2, becoming the second player to reach multiple semi-finals in this event, having previously made the final in 2021.
After a challenging summer, Medvedev, under the guidance of new coaches Thomas Johansson and Rohan Goetzke, is rediscovering his rhythm, shaking off a disappointing start to the season.
Duckworth, thriving at the Kazakhstani ATP 250 tournament, has surged up 30 spots to No. 108 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings. Cobolli struggled against the Australian’s relentless movement and precision, during a 91-minute match where Duckworth saved all five break points he encountered, as per Infosys ATP Stats.
In the upper half of the draw, sixth seed Alex Michelsen staged a comeback from a break down in the final set to defeat Shintaro Mochizuki 6-3, 3-6, 6-2, keeping his dream of clinching a first ATP Tour title alive.
Reaching his third tour-level semi-final of 2025, the 21-year-old American notched his 25th victory for the second consecutive season, setting his sights on a match against either Jan-Lennard Struff or Corentin Moutet on Saturday.
