World No. 11 Russian tennis player Daniil Medvedev commented on his practice session with World No. 3 Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz at the Rome Masters.
When asked about their intense sparring, how it was arranged, and the value of such training with top competitors, Medvedev explained that coaches usually arrange practice sessions. However, in Rome, there are limited training courts, which can make it difficult to practice with one`s regular hitting partner at specific times. He noted that both he and Alcaraz happened to be available alone at the same time, leading to them being paired up, possibly through the court sign-up system rather than direct coach arrangement.
Regardless of how it was set up, Medvedev praised the session: “We had a great practice. We played just four games, hit the ball effectively, and I feel in good shape now. We both hit hard, it was cool, and of course, it`s always nice to play with top players, there`s nothing more to say.”
Medvedev also spoke about his upcoming fourth-round match against Italian Lorenzo Musetti in the Rome tournament.
Discussing his potential opponents, Brandon Nakashima or Lorenzo Musetti, Medvedev mentioned playing Nakashima recently in Madrid, so both are familiar with each other`s game, despite the different court conditions in Rome. Observing that Musetti was winning his match at the time of the interview (implying Musetti would be his next opponent), Medvedev described the Italian as being in good form and a “pure clay-courter.” He anticipated an interesting match and stressed the need to play his best tennis to have a chance to win.
Marcus Prine