Medvedev marches into Marseille SFs, defending champ Humbert rolls on

Daniil Medvedev is finding his groove at the Open 13 Provence in Marseille.

The top seed at the indoor hard-court ATP 250 shook off a shaky start Friday before easing to a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Jan-Lennard Struff in 78 minutes to reach the semi-finals. Medvedev, who won the Marseille title in 2021, saved each of the five break points he faced en route to notching back-to-back wins for the first time in 2025.

“I didn't start the match well, he had a lot of break points,” said Medvedev, who improved to 9-2 in Marseille. “I served good a couple of times. He made some mistakes. It's part of tennis. Then I managed to take control of the match and I feel like I was a little bit of a better player. But again, if the match in the beginning doesn't turn my side, we don't know what happens next. So, I’m happy to turn in my side.”

Top seed, top form 🙌

2021 champion @DaniilMedwed sweeps aside Struff 6-3 6-2 🔜 SF!@Open13 | #O13Provence pic.twitter.com/PehkWrU92Y

— ATP Tour (@atptour) February 14, 2025

Medvedev fell to second-round exits at the Australian Open and in Rotterdam to start his 2025 campaign, but his decision to receive a late wild card entry into the Marseille draw is paying off. The No. 8 in the PIF ATP Rankings is chasing his first tour-level title since triumphing at the ATP Masters 1000 in Rome in 2023.

“I played two good matches, I didn't lose my serve,” Medvedev added. “I returned pretty well against two tough servers. It's always better to win easier because it gives you more confidence in your shots, in your game. Two very good matches and looking forward to the next one.”

Friday's victory over World No. 46 Struff was Medvedev's first against a Top 100 opponent this year. After a nervy start to the quarter-final clash, the 29-year-old took advantage of a fortunate net-cord winner to seal the first break of the match. From there, Medvedev found his range and came up with emphatic answers to Struff's big serving to seal his return to the semi-finals, where he will face  Hamad Medjedovic.

The Serbian overcame Daniel Altmaier 7-5, 6-7(7), 6-4 in two hours, 42 minutes to extend his perfect record in ATP Tour quarter-finals to 4-0. Medjedovic let slip three match points in the second-set tie-break and rallied from 0-3 down in the decider to seal an epic victory, jumping to a career high of No. 81 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings. 

Earlier, defending champion Ugo Humbert booked his ticket to a fourth semi-final in Marseille by overcoming Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego 6-4, 6-4 in a scrappy battle. The second-seeded Frenchman hit 29 unforced errors in the 98-minute contest, but relied on his imperious serving when needed to notch his 150th tour-level victory. Humbert won 85 per cent (29/34) of points behind his first delivery and saved each of the three break points he faced, according to Infosys ATP Stats.

“It’s always a tough battle with Lorenzo,” said Humbert, who improved to 4-3 in his Lexus ATP Head2Head series with Sonego. “He’s a fantastic player, super aggressive. It was not easy [considering] his strong beginning to the year, [reaching] the quarters at the Australian Open. It’s always a pleasure to play on this court, and I was happy that I felt 100 per cent.”

The 26-year-old Humbert is now 16-1 in his last 17 indoor matches played on home soil. This run includes titles in Metz 2023 and Marseille last year, as well as reaching the final at the ATP Masters 1000 in Paris in November (l. to Zverev).

Humbert will continue his title defence on Saturday against Zizou Bergs, who advanced past Zhang Zhizhen after the Chinese player was forced to retire after dropping the first set 7-5 in 38 minutes. With his run to a second semi-final of the season (l. to Monfils, Auckland F), Bergs is up a career high of No. 57 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings. The Belgian hit 17 winners, including 11 aces, before Zhang was forced to call the match.

“I’ve [had] a great start to the year. We’re trying to put everything together, some days it works well, some days it’s a little bit better,” said Bergs. “I feel like I’m quite solid here. The level is not super high, but it’s quite solid, so I hope I can continue this path and bring this every match.”