Daniil Medvedev beats Holger Rune to win Italian Open - ESPN

ROME — Daniil Medvedev hadn't won a single match in his three previous appearances at the Italian Open.

Now he's won the tournament.

The Russian beat rising 20-year-old Danish player Holger Rune 7-5, 7-5 on Sunday for the first clay-court trophy of a career that includes the 2021 US Open title and a period at No. 1 in the rankings.

Medvedev was previously known almost exclusively for his prowess on hard courts, with 18 of his previous 19 titles coming on that surface — the other was on grass in Mallorca. But he now must be considered a contender at the French Open — the clay-court Grand Slam — which starts next Sunday.

There's room for a new champion at Roland Garros after 14-time winner Rafael Nadal announced on Thursday that he won't be competing in the tournament because of a lingering hip injury that has sidelined him since January.

«Honestly, I didn't believe much I can win a Masters 1000 on clay in my career because usually I hated it. I hated playing on it. I don't feel good on it, like nothing was working,» Medvedev said.

"(But) before this tournament already in Madrid and Monte Carlo, I was kind of feeling not too bad. I didn't have any big tantrums," Medvedev added. «I came here and I felt amazing on practice.… I was like, 'I don't know what's happening, but I feel amazing. Let's see how it goes.' But then you need to play the toughest opponents in the world to try to make it. And I'm really happy that I managed to do it and prove myself and everybody that I'm capable of doing it.»

Medvedev also felt great after beating Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets in the semifinals, after which he celebrated with a little dance.

Rune, who eliminated six-time Rome champion Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals, should also