Medvedev Secures Landmark 50th Top 10 Victory, Moves to Shanghai Semifinals
Former World No. 1 triumphs over De Minaur with a score of 6-4, 6-4
Date: October 10, 2025
Photo Credit: Getty Images
Daniil Medvedev showcasing his skills during Friday’s match in Shanghai.
By Sam Jacot
Daniil Medvedev celebrated a significant milestone on Friday at the Rolex Shanghai Masters, achieving his 50th win against a Top 10 opponent by overcoming Alex de Minaur, thereby advancing to his second ATP Masters 1000 semi-final of the year.
The match turned into an intense battle, featuring over 32 points that extended beyond nine shots. Medvedev managed to maintain the upper hand against a slightly off-form De Minaur. The 29-year-old hit 11 more winners than the Australian (27-16), made two fewer unforced errors (25-27), and dominated the second set by winning 15 out of 16 first-serve points, completing the match in one hour and 53 minutes.
“I felt drained, especially knowing Alex’s ability for long rallies, similar to my previous match against Learner,” Medvedev reflected. “In the early stages, we had some long exchanges, which hinted at a tough contest ahead. However, I am thrilled with my performance. I was particularly focused during clutch moments, hitting the ball crisply and applying pressure. The second set was tight, but I found my rhythm just in time. I’m pleased with my level of play.”
Medvedev is eager to capture his first ATP title since Rome back in May 2023 and will face Arthur Rinderknech in the semi-finals. Earlier this season, he made it to the semi-finals at Indian Wells but fell short against Holger Rune.
A former champion in Shanghai (2019), Medvedev has reached 50 tour-level semi-finals on hard courts, with 18 of his 20 titles earned on this surface. His path to title number 21 has not been easy, as he also survived a grueling three-set battle against Learner Tien in the fourth round.
As for De Minaur, he exits Shanghai currently ranked seventh in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, holding a 640-point lead over 10th place Felix Auger-Aliassime, who is just outside the Top 8 cut due to Jack Draper’s injury sidelining him for the remainder of the year. De Minaur now trails Medvedev 4-8 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head encounters and aims to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals for the second consecutive year.
