Daniil Medvedev is safely into the semi-finals of the China Open after his quarter-final win over Flavio Cobolli.
Medvedev is looking for consistency on the court, having stormed into the final four of the China Open in Beijing.
The Russian second seed overcame French duo Gael Monfils and Adrian Mannarino in the early stages, and now meets Carlos Alcaraz in the semis.
Neither player has dropped a set so far, with Alcaraz securing his 200th ATP Tour win after knocking out Tallon Griekspoor.
Medvedev and Alcaraz were Laver Cup teammates earlier this month, with the pair helping Team Europe edge past Team World.
Daniil Medvedev makes Carlos Alcaraz claim ahead of their China Open match
But now they are opponents at the China Open, with Medvedev full of praise for the Spaniard ahead of their meeting.
“Tomorrow, a tough test against Carlos,” he said in his post-match press conference. “I think for me, and I think I’m not the only one to say it… when he’s in the zone, he’s probably the best player in the world.
“Tough to play him. I feel like now he’s in the zone. So a great test for me. I’m going to see how I go out there tomorrow, what tactic, what do I believe in, and I’m going to go for it.”
Can Daniil Medvedev close the gap on Carlos Alcaraz?
Alcaraz currently leads Medvedev 5-2 in their head-to-head record, having won their last three meetings.
Two huge results came this season, with the Spaniard beating the Russian in the ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells final and the Wimbledon semi-final.
Medvedev says Alcaraz needs to be put under pressure all the time on the court, with the former now surely set to try that approach against the latter.
But trying that and achieving that are two very different things, with Medvedev aiming to try and replicate his 2023 US Open semi-final success over Alcaraz.
That represents his most recent victory over the Spanish superstar, with his other coming at Wimbledon back in 2021.
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