Halle Open: Daniil Medvedev sees off Ilya Ivashka and Karen Khachanov beats Laslo Dere

Daniil Medvedev defeated Ivashka at the Terra Wortmann Open in Halle against Ilya Ivashka for the second time in the month, after previously defeating him at the quarterfinals in the Libema Open.

It was a tough opening set for Daniil Medvedev as Ilya Ivashka fired clean strokes from the beginning to trouble his Russian opponent. However, Daniil Medvedev once again proved his ability to find big serves at the crucial moments. The Russian held off three set points at 5-4 to stay in the game before, eventually winning the first set.

The second set was comparatively easier for Daniil Medvedev. He made brilliant use of passing shots to cruise past Ilya Ivashka to seal his victory after one hour and 36 minutes of play.

The victory helped Medvedev improve his head-to-head record against Ilya Ivashka to 3-1 and his career record on the grass to 30-15.

In a post-match interview, Daniil Medvedev said, "He is a great player. He had a lot of bad luck with injuries at the beginning of the season. At the end of last season, he was playing great tennis. I have known him since I was very young. We played each other in Futures, Challengers, and on the ATP Tour.

He further added, “My goal is every time I go on the court, just to be the best player possible, and if my opponent wins, congrats, and let’s go for the next one.

Karen Khachanov beats Laslo Dere to set up a quarterfinal clash with Oscar Otte

Karen Khachanov defeated Laslo Djere of Serbia 7-6(4), 6-4 in the second round of the Terra Wortmann Open at Gerry Weber Stadion to secure a straight-sets victory.

Karen Khachanov had a slow start in the opening round but soon bounced break from a breakdown at 2-5. He saved two points on the services of the Belarusian at 4-5 and then won the first set 7-6(4). He broke Laslo Dere immediately into the second set and built on the momentum to advance to the quarterfinals with a straight-set victory. 

After the match, Karen Khachanov said, "The first set was very tricky. I was two breaks down. I don’t know how, but I managed to win the first set. I played a good tie-break, and it gave me a lot of confidence for the second set, from the beginning especially to keep pushing. I am happy that I could turn it around. I could change the game and start to play better.

Daniil Medvedev will lock horns with Oscar Otte in a quarterfinal clash at the Owl Arena on June 17