Still just 21 years old, Rune posted mixed results through the first quarter of 2025, pushing eventual Australian Open champion Sinner to four sets in Melbourne but failing to win back-to-back matches in any of his other ATP appearances, arriving under the radar to Tennis Paradise.

A narrow win over No. 18 seed Ugo Humbert looked to reignite the Dane’s famed fighting spirit, and he backed up the result with a statement victory (including a sick tweener) over No. 8 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas, himself fresh off a title run at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. A first win over Dutch nemesis Tallon Griekspoor booked a rematch with Medvedev, who had won their last two head-to-head meetings—most recently at this very tournament 12 months ago.

But Medvedev, too, has struggled to get going in 2025, posting solid results in February but lacking a signature result after bowing out of the Australian Open in the second round. The 2021 US Open champion scored an emotional victory over No. 20 seed Arthur Fils—where he quite literally jumped for joy after winning a third-set tiebreaker—but struggled in the key points against Rune on Saturday.

“It’s about finding the right tempo, and luckily I’ve got decent leg work to reach many balls, but it was a very specific tactical plan that I made with my coach yesterday evening and this morning. It was all about finding the right pace and the right shots to hit. So many players miss too many shots against Daniil because he gets so many balls back and it makes you want to hit the ball even stronger and go for more. I’m super proud I found the right rhythm, the right tempo, and that I stayed super composed at the end.”