Novak Djokovic finished with a perfect group-stage record at the ATP Finals after beating Daniil Medvedev 6-3 6-7 (5-7) 7-6 (7-2) in a lengthy three-hour contest on Friday.

Djokovic – who is bidding to equal Roger Federer's record of six ATP Finals titles – sealed his spot in the last four by beating Andrey Rublev on Wednesday, but he was in no mood to do the already-eliminated Medvedev any favours in Turin.

The 21-time grand slam winner dominated the opening set, winning 89 per cent of points behind his first serve and hitting several outstanding cross-court forehand winners.

Djokovic began the second set in similar fashion, but saw his standards dip when he returned to the court following a long stoppage at 5-5.

The rejuvenated Medvedev forced a tie-break with a delightful drop shot before taking advantage of a rare double fault from Djokovic to level the match. 

With the exhausted Djokovic visibly shaking ahead of the decider and his semi-final against Taylor Fritz looming, the Serbian's commitment to Friday's dead rubber could have been called into question, but he found a second wind to take the match away from Medvedev.

Djokovic was on the ropes when he saw his serve broken for the first time in the tournament nine games into the third set, but he hit back immediately and then forced another tie-break. 

The Serbian was back to his exquisite best from there on as he sealed the win by hitting a huge forehand winner down the line, though the drawn-out nature of his victory could yet play into Fritz's hands.

ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS

Djokovic – 9/3
Medvedev – 16/2

WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS

Djokovic – 53/43
Medvedev – 47/35

BREAK POINTS WON

Djokovic – 2/6
Medvedev – 1/6 

Stefanos Tsitsipas saw off an impressive Daniil Medvedev comeback bid to keep his ATP Finals last four hopes alive with a 6-3 6-7 (11-13) 7-6 (7-1) win in Turin.

With both men having lost their opening match in their first red group encounters, the two headed into their Wednesday match knowing they needed a victory to stay in the semi-final hunt.

Now, it will be 2019 Finals winner Tsitsipas who remains in the mix after seeing off 2020 champion and former US Open winner Medvedev across a two-hour-and-21-minute encounter, handing Novak Djokovic the group in the process.

The Greek second seed looked to be racing away to an early finish after cruising to the first set, but found himself embroiled in a much closer follow-up.

A bruising second set forced the pair into a lengthy tie-break, which stretched its points out to double figures before Medvedev prevailed.

The two could then not be separated in the third, only for Tsitsipas to dominate the tie-break the second time around and race away to a crucial win that sets up a winner-takes-all clash with Andrey Rublev.

ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS

Tsitsipas – 9/1
Medvedev – 16/2

WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS

Tsitsipas – 47/25
Medvedev – 34/28

BREAK POINTS WON

Tsitsipas – 2/3
Medvedev – 1/1

Andrey Rublev opened his ATP Finals campaign with a gripping 6-7 (7-9) 6-3 7-6 (9-7) success over compatriot Daniil Medvedev in Turin.

The sixth seed came from behind to beat his fellow Russian in a match lasting over two and a half hours to put himself top of the Red Group, with the pool's other two players, Novak Djokovic and Stefanos Tsitsipas, playing later on Monday.

Rublev got off to a fast start, securing a break to put himself 4-1 up in the first set. However, Medvedev saw off two set points to take it to a tie-break, before fending off five more set points on his way to taking an extraordinary opener.

World number seven Rublev hit back with two breaks in a strong second set to level the match, Medvedev not helping himself with six double faults.

Medvedev, the fourth seed, cut down the errors in a tight final set that did not see a solitary break of serve as a tie-break was required to settle an absorbing contest.

But after a remarkable final stand from Medvedev that saw him save four match points, Rublev finally got over the line make a winning start.

ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS

Medvedev - 24/8

Rublev - 9/1

WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS

Medvedev - 46/26

Rublev - 38/24

BREAK POINTS WON

Medvedev - 1/2

Rublev - 3/9

In recent years, the notable absentee at the ATP Finals has been Roger Federer, with his last appearance in the tournament coming in 2019.

The lack of Federer at the showpiece event will be felt even more apparent this year after the Swiss maestro retired from tennis in September, though it is the absence of a player at the other end of his career that is more relevant in Turin.

World number one Carlos Alcaraz had to withdraw from the tournament after suffering an abdominal tear, which means his status at the top of the men's game is in jeopardy.

Rafael Nadal has spoken well of his 19-year-old compatriot in the past, but is not ready to pass the torch just yet, and could even topple Alcaraz from his number one spot.

The 22-time grand slam champion has finished as year-end number one five times previously, most recently in 2019. Should he accomplish the feat again this year it would put him in joint-second for most year-end finishes at the top of the ATP Rankings (since 1973) along with Pete Sampras (six).

In order to do so, Nadal will need to win the tournament, something he has never done before.

However, he comes into his 11th appearance in good form, and has won 32 per cent of his return games in 2022, the highest percentage by any player this year, and has converted 43.8 per cent of his break points in 2022, the third best amongst all players.

Stefanos Tsitsipas, meanwhile, is the other competitor who can knock Alcaraz off top spot, though his task to do so is a little more complicated as he needs to win every match on the way to the title in Turin. 

No player has played more matches in 2022 than Tsitsipas (80), 21 on clay, 11 on grass and 48 on hard courts; he has won 59 of them and lost 21.

Should neither man win at the Pala Alpitour, Alcaraz will breathe a sigh of relief and earn his first year-end number one finish, having taken his place after winning the US Open in September.

Nadal has been drawn into the Green Group with Casper Ruud, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Taylor Fritz, while Tsitsipas will be in the Red Group alongside Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev and Novak Djokovic.

Djokovic can equal Federer record

One man surprisingly unable to end the year as number one is Djokovic, despite having done so on more occasions than anyone else in history (seven).

However, the 21-time grand slam champion can still make his mark in Italy.

Djokovic has had an up-and-down year, only playing in two of the four grand slams due to his vaccination status, though he was able to win Wimbledon for the seventh time, beating Nick Kyrgios in the final.

Should the Serbian go all the way and lift what would be his sixth ATP Finals title, he will go level with Federer for most victories since the tournament began in 1970.

Among the eight participating players in this year's tournament, Djokovic has won 87 per cent of his service games in 2022, the best percentage among these players and the sixth overall.

It would be quite the ending to the year for Djokovic, who finds himself in the unusual position of sitting eighth in the world rankings, and at the age of 35, who knows how many more appearances he will make at the event?

Strong field promises fireworks

As is the intent of the format, the ATP Finals should be a tightly-contested few days as the best men's players in the world come together.

Ruud will be looking to add to an already impressive season, having reached two grand slam finals and winning three tour-level titles, while Fritz is aiming to carry on the fine lineage of American players to have won the tournament.

Players from the United States have won the ATP finals 16 times, with Sampras and Ivan Lendl winning five of them each. It is the most by any country and 10 more than next best Switzerland (six, all Federer) and Germany (also six, three wins for Boris Becker, one for Michael Stich and two for last year's champion, Alexander Zverev).

Auger-Aliassime has had a strong end to the year, beating Djokovic at the Laver Cup before winning three titles in as many weeks in Florence, Antwerp and Basel.

Only John Isner (895) has recorded more aces in 2022 than Auger-Aliassime, who has registered 852 in total, averaging 10.9 per match.

"All the players who participate [at the ATP Finals], I have already faced them, I have beaten them," the Canadian recently said. "So for me, there's no reason why I can't show up to this tournament with the aim of winning it."

Medvedev was world number one as recently as September but enters this tournament in fifth, though he did win the Vienna ATP 500 event last month, while his first opponent in Turin, Rublev, enters with a 2022 record of 49-18, looking for his second straight 50-win season.

Whoever comes out on top at this year's ATP Finals, the race for supremacy in 2023 promises to be as delightfully chaotic.

Daniil Medvedev feels he may have been at a disadvantage in his opening match at the Paris Masters, going down 6-4 2-6 7-5 against Alex de Minaur in the second round.

While it was De Minaur's second match of the week, having fought his way through the first round in a three-set win against Sebastian Korda, Medvedev had the bye straight through to round two.

He pointed to that fact when discussing what he thinks went wrong for him, while also crediting De Minaur for rising to the occasion during big points.

In his post-match press conference, Medvedev said he did not feel he played poorly, but De Minaur was just in terrific touch.

"I think he played pretty well," he said. "I think even in the third set I had the break up, and he played an amazing game on my serve where I served only first serves, and he made some winners. 

"Actually, I think I had my chances to win the match – but didn't use them – and he managed to keep enough pressure on me at the end of the match to win.

"But that's tennis, you know. Like I just watched Felix [Auger-Aliassime] win [in a close third-set tiebreaker] and I'm going, 'whoever loses this match is gonna hate tennis for a few days'... two people, only one can win."

When asked if his victory at the Vienna Open – where he beat Denis Shapovalov in the final just four days ago – had him feeling not at his sharpest on such a quick turnaround, he admitted it was a factor.

"Well, I had a lot of matches under my belt back to back, and it's never easy," he said. "The positive thing is that you feel confident. 

"My impression, if you win the first match of the week, that's where you really have a lot of feelings and you have a confidence boost for the next match.

"But it's the first match that is the toughest. It was a tough match. Alex played very well. Had he played a bit less well, I would have won. But he did his job, you know, and he won."

Medvedev will be part of the field contesting the ATP Finals in Turin later this month.

Rafael Nadal joined Daniil Medvedev in making a shock early exit from the Paris Masters on Wednesday.

While world number one Carlos Alcaraz overcame Yoshihito Nishioka 6-4 6-4 to progress to the last 16, there was no such luck for compatriot Nadal, whose chances of ending the year at the top of the ATP rankings are over after a defeat to Tommy Paul.

World number two Nadal looked well set to progress after claiming the first set 6-3 in just over 40 minutes, yet American Paul rallied to seal the biggest win of his career 3-6 7-6 (7-4) 6-1.

The 22-time grand slam champion said on Tuesday that he is no longer concerned with competing for the top spot in the world, though he will no doubt be frustrated at bowing out at the first hurdle ahead of the ATP Finals later this month.

Paul became the first player to defeat Nadal prior to the quarter-finals of the tournament when he sent a controlled backhand volley away from the forlorn 36-year-old.

Nadal was not the only big-name exit, with world number three Medvedev also slumping to defeat, going down 6-4 2-6 7-5 to Alex de Minaur.

For Australian De Minaur, it was his first win in 19 attempts against a player ranked in the top five and sets up a third-round clash with Frances Tiafoe, who beat Jack Draper.

"It's a good one to get, for sure," said De Minaur. "It's the end of the year, everyone's a bit tired, but I'm very proud of my performance. I just played very smart.

"I knew it was going to be a chess match out there, both baiting each other to be aggressive, but you also didn't want to be too aggressive at times. It was an absolute battle and I'm very happy I was able to come out on top."

It leaves the path open for Alcaraz to retain his place as the world's best player, and the 19-year-old said after his win: "First round in every tournament is never easy.

"You have to be really focused, you have to try to get a good rhythm, good feeling in the first round. I'm really happy with the performance, the level that I played, and I'm looking forward to getting better in the next round."

Ninth seed Taylor Fritz and 10th seed Hubert Hurkacz lost to Gilles Simon and Holger Rune respectively, their defeats ensuring Felix Auger-Aliassime, who overcame Mikael Ymer, and Andrey Rublev will feature in the ATP Finals.

Auger-Aliassime's victory took three hours and 30 minutes, and marked his 14th win in a row.

"Somehow I found a second wind after saving those break points at 4-1," said the Canadian.

"I played better and better, coming through the court much better, serving better. It was pretty epic. Three hours and 30 minutes on the court, quality rallies. He was making me work all the time. Definitely a win to remember."

Fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas was also a winner, seeing off Daniel Evans in straight sets.

Daniil Medvedev celebrated "one of the best victories" as he beat Denis Shapovalov 4-6 6-3 6-2 in the final of the Vienna Open on Sunday.

Playing in his first tour-level final since winning the Mexico Open in August, Medvedev found himself on the back foot after Shapovalov came out on top in a 50-minute opener.

The world number four conceded serve twice in the first set – the first time he had been broken throughout his run in Austria.

However, Medvedev hit back to claim the second set at the first time of asking.

Having lost serve twice in the decider, Shapovalov hung on in to frustrate Medvedev, saving six match points before finally succumbing to a deft drop-shot that the Canadian could only clip back into the net.

The victory marks Medvedev's second title of 2022, while it also ensures the Russian – who worked his way to world number one earlier in the year – will play in the ATP Finals next month, after going for glory at the Paris Masters.

"This match was the best of the week because Denis was really playing unreal until probably 4-3 in the second set," said Medvedev, who is aiming for a strong end to the season.

"He dropped his level by maybe two per cent and I was able to use it. This is one of the best victories when you know your opponent is on top of you, but you try and stay there and do what you can.

"I like to play indoor hard courts at the end of the season. I feel that I do a great job with my team not to arrive burnt out.

"I'm looking forward to the last two tournaments of the year which are really important and I usually play well."

World number one Carlos Alcaraz was stunned in the Swiss Indoors Basel semi-finals as Felix Auger-Aliassime set up a final clash with Holger Rune.

Auger-Aliassime saw off the US Open champion in just 82 minutes as he won 6-4 6-3 to take his unbeaten run to 12 matches.

The Canadian was in irresistible form on Saturday, with his shot placement in decisive moments proving far more consistent and lethal than his counterpart, hitting 23 winners to Alcaraz's eight.

Twenty-two-year-old Auger-Aliassime is still fighting to qualify for the ATP Finals for the first time and victory in Sunday's final will move him up to sixth in the rankings having won each of his two previous tournaments in Antwerp and Florence.

"It's amazing," Auger-Aliassime said. "I never expected it, when I was in Florence three weeks ago, or after the US Open. I'm just really happy that all my work is coming together.

"I've always believed that I can play this way, that I can be consistent in that way, but one thing is to believe and the other is to actually do it. It's nice to feel that way, it's nice to come out on the court and win that many matches in a row. So hopefully this is just the beginning of seeing me play this way."

Rune awaits after the Dane beat Roberto Bautista Agut 7-6 (7-1) 7-6 (10-8) despite being 6-2 down in the second-set tie-break. He will move into the top 20 for the first time as a result of that win.

The final of the Vienna Open will be contested by Daniil Medvedev and Denis Shapovalov, who came through their respective semis in straight sets.

Top seed Medvedev was exceptional against Grigor Dimitrov, with the Russian's serve proving especially important in his 6-4 6-2 win.

Medvedev won 87 per cent of points on his first serve to leave Dimitrov frequently struggling for momentum, and the former world number one recognised that impact.

"The serve is probably the most important shot in tennis," he said. "I was lacking it a little bit this season, I was doing too many double faults. Sometimes in important moments my serve could have been a little bit better. I was working a lot with my coach to try and find this rhythm [again], and so far I'm serving good here. I'm really happy about it and that's also why I'm playing so good."

Shapovalov ultimately romped to an impressive win over Borna Coric.

A tight first set was followed by the Croatian getting bageled as Shapovalov won 7-6 (7-4) 6-0 to reach his second final of the year.

World number one Carlos Alcaraz is through to the semi-finals of the Swiss Indoors Basel after easing past Pablo Carreno-Busta in straight sets.

Alcaraz took just under an hour and 40 minutes to overcome his fellow Spaniard and friend 6-3 6-4, getting 67 per cent of his first serves in and winning 77 per cent of those.

Carreno-Busta struggled to keep the US Open champion at bay, facing 12 break points in all, and although he saved nine of them, his defiance was ultimately in vain.

"It is difficult to play against a friend like Pablo," Alcaraz said on-court after his win on Friday. "Every day we go and have dinner, lunch, together. Every week and we train together, so it is difficult to play against him.

"I also support him and want him to win every match. On court, there are no friends. You have to be focused and go for the match and that is what I did."

Alcaraz will face third seed Felix Auger-Aliassime in the final four after the Canadian defeated Alexander Bublik 6-2 6-3.

The other semi-final will see Roberto Bautista Agut play Holger Rune after the Spaniard beat Stan Wawrinka 7-5 7-6 (7-5) and the Danish teenager defeated Arthur Rinderknech 7-6 (7-0) 6-2.

In Austria, top seed at the Vienna Open Daniil Medvedev beat Jannik Sinner 6-4 6-2 to advance to the last four, where he will play Grigor Dimitrov after the Bulgarian overcame Marcos Giron 6-3 4-6 6-4.

The winner of that contest will face either Denis Shapovalov, who beat Dan Evans 6-3 6-3, or Borna Coric after the Croatian came through against Hubert Hurkacz 6-4 6-7 (2-7) 7-6 (7-5).

Stefanos Tsitsipas crashed out of the Vienna Open after losing in a dramatic third-set tie-break against Borna Coric, who claimed his third successive win over the Greek ace.

The second seed was the highest-profile casualty in the Austrian capital on Thursday, as he succumbed to the Croatian once more 4-6 6-4 7-6 (7-4).

Coric rescued six match points before stunning Tsitsipas at the 2020 US Open, while he also triumphed when they collided in the Cincinnati showpiece in August.

The world number 27's chances of completing a hat-trick of victories appeared bleak at a set and break down, but he rallied to force a decider that went the distance, before holding his nerve for another notable win.

Coric's reward is a quarter-final clash with Hubert Hurkacz, who boosted his chances of qualifying for next month's ATP Finals with a 7-5 4-6 6-3 win over Emil Ruusuvuori.

Daniil Medvedev advanced to the last eight after a 6-3 6-3 victory over home favourite Dominic Thiem. Next up for the top seed is Jannik Sinner after the Italian saw off Francisco Cerundolo 7-5 6-3.

Third seed Andrey Rublev's ATP Finals hopes were dented after a 6-3 6-4 defeat by Grigor Dimitrov, who will play Marcos Giron after the American overcame seventh seed Cameron Norrie in straight sets.

Over in Basel, third seed Felix Auger-Aliassime required just 49 minutes to complete a commanding 6-1 6-0 rout of Miomir Kecmanovic for his 10th straight ATP win.

Meanwhile, Stockholm champion Holger Rune continued his momentum by recording a seventh straight victory after seeing off Ugo Humbert 6-4 6-2.

Sixth seed Roberto Bautista Agut enjoyed a straight-sets win over three-time grand slam champion Andy Murray to set up a clash with home favourite Stan Wawrinka, who outlasted Brandon Nakashima in a deciding set.

Daniil Medvedev set up a second-round showdown with home favourite Dominic Thiem at the Vienna Open after defeating Nikoloz Basilashvili in straight sets on Wednesday.

The top seed broke early and late in both sets as he cruised through the opening round a 6-2 6-2 winner.

Next up for Medvedev is a clash with former US Open champion Thiem, who beat him in the semi-finals on the way to triumphing at Flushing Meadows two years ago.

Stefanos Tsitsipas overcame local wildcard Dennis Novak 7-6 (7-2) 6-2 as the Greek ace seeks a third final in as many weeks, having lifted the title in Astana and finished as runner-up to Holger Rune in Stockholm.

Jannik Sinner also advanced in straight sets against Cristian Garin, but Taylor Fritz's ATP Finals hopes suffered a blow after the fourth seed was beaten 6-1 4-6 6-3 by Denis Shapovalov.

Over in Basel, world number one Carlos Alcaraz sailed through to his 11th quarter-final of the season after a commanding 6-4 6-2 win over Botic van de Zandschulp.

Meanwhile, Felix Auger-Aliassime recovered from losing the opening set to deny Marc-Andrea Huesler. The third seed claimed a career-best ninth successive ATP Tour victory, as he looks to complete a hat-trick of titles in as many weeks having recently reigned in Florence and Antwerp.

Stockholm champion Rune built on his recent momentum with a 6-2 7-5 success over Alex de Minaur, but Naples winner Lorenzo Musetti was ousted in a deciding set by Albert Ramos-Vinolas. 

Novak Djokovic progressed to the Astana Open final after Daniil Medvedev retired from their last-four clash due to injury.

The two played out a thrilling first two sets, with Medvedev taking the lead before Djokovic fought back to level the match via a tie-break.

However, the Russian was unable to continue after sustaining a leg injury, keeping Djokovic in the hunt for back-to-back titles when he competes in the showpiece, where he will face Stefanos Tsitsipas.

"I really hope that his injury is nothing too serious,” said Djokovic. "I know Daniil, he's a great guy, he's a fighter, he's a big competitor.

"He wouldn't retire a match if he didn't feel that he [could] continue or [if it wouldn't] worsen his injury. He told me that he pulled an adductor muscle in his leg.

"It was such a close match, particularly in the second set. I would probably say he was a better player on the court in both sets. I was fighting and trying to find a way.

"I found a way to win the second, but I'm just sad for the tournament and for these people who were enjoying the battle, and for Daniil that it had to end this way."

Third seed Tsitsipas started slowly in the first set against Andrey Rublev but managed to triumph 4-6 6-4 6-3 in Saturday's other semi-final.

"My mentality kind of changed," said Tsitsipas, who will seek his first ATP 500 title at the ninth attempt. "I played with more of an aggressive game style and didn’t have anything by luck."

At the Japan Open, Taylor Fritz battled back from 3-1 down in the deciding set against Denis Shapovalov to claim a 6-3 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 semi-final victory and book his place in his third ATP Tour final this season.

Third seed Fritz faces an all-American clash in Sunday's final against Frances Tiafoe, who dropped his first set of the week as Soonwoo Kwon bageled him, but the US Open semi-finalist recorded a 6-2 0-6 6-4 win.

"It was a weird match, but I'm happy to get through," said Tiafoe, who progressed into his second final of the season and fifth overall.

"It's not always going to be pretty, it's not always going to be the best stuff, but a win is what matters."

Novak Djokovic set up a semi-final meeting with Daniil Medvedev at the Astana Open on Friday, cruising past Karen Khachanov in the last eight.

Djokovic complemented a fine display of serving by converting three of his five break points in a 6-4 6-3 victory, recording his seventh consecutive win following his absence from the US Open.

The 21-time grand slam champion has now reached six semi-finals this year, but saw room for improvement in his performance after beating the world number 18.

"I didn't play as well from the baseline as I did in the first two matches, but still it was enough," Djokovic said. "I managed to produce some good tennis when it was most needed in both sets."

Looking ahead to his final-four match, the Serb added: "I always expect highs from myself. Hopefully I can elevate still the level of my game for tomorrow, because it's going to be needed." 

Djokovic will face an 11th tour-level meeting with Medvedev in the next round after his fellow former world number one recorded a dominant 6-1 6-1 win over Roberto Bautista Agut.

On the other side of the draw, third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas beat Hubert Hurkacz 7-6 (10-8) 6-3, and will now face Andrey Rublev after he eased to a 6-1 6-2 win over Adrian Mannarino.

At the Japan Open, a knee injury forced Wimbledon runner-up Nick Kyrgios to withdraw from his meeting with Taylor Fritz, with the American set to take on Denis Shapovalov in the semi-finals.

Seventh seed Shapovalov saw off Borna Coric 6-4 6-3 to reach the final four, while fourth seed Frances Tiafoe advanced with a 6-0 6-4 win against Miomir Kecmanovic.

South Korea's Kwon Soon-woo claimed the final place in the semi-finals in Tokyo, beating Spain's Pedro Martinez 6-3 6-0

Daniil Medvedev succumbed to second-round defeat against Stan Wawrinka at the Moselle Open on Thursday, while Hubert Hurkacz coasted past Dominic Thiem.

World number four Medvedev fell to a 6-4 6-7 (7-9) 6-3 loss against three-time major winner Wawrinka, who will next meet Mikael Ymer after his straight-sets win over home favourite Gregoire Barrere.

Second seed Hurkacz did not experience such struggles against Thiem as the Pole cruised to a 6-3 6-4 as he served 12 aces in a dominant performance in Metz.

Hurkacz will face Arthur Rinderknech in the next round after the Frenchman battled to a 7-6 (13-11) 6-3 triumph over fifth seed Nikoloz Basilashvili.

Alexander Bublik, the seventh favourite in France, was also made to work for his progress to the quarter-finals, downing Emil Ruusuvuori 6-7 (4-7) 6-4 6-3.

Fourth seed Holger Rune awaits Bublik after Benjamin Bonzi retired due to injury when 6-4 4-1 down against the Dane.

Lorenzo Sonego coasted through his second-round clash to defeat Gilles Simon 7-6 (7-2) 6-4 to tee up a last-eight clash with Sebastian Korda.

Stan Wawrinka will face Daniil Medvedev in the second round of the Moselle Open after beating Joao Sousa in straight sets.

Wawrinka came through two qualifying matches to take his place in the main draw before defeating Sousa 7-6 (7-1) 6-2 in Metz on Wednesday.

The three-time grand slam champion's victory was only his fourth in a main draw at tour-level this year following a 13-month absence due to a foot injury.

Wawrinka said after setting up a showdown with top seed Medvedev: "It's the first time I won three matches in the same tournament for more than two years, so it's great.

"I'm getting confidence from winning a few matches, so I'm feeling a bit more relaxed, the way I'm moving. I think the level was good from me, and I'm happy with the win."

Dominic Thiem also advanced at the indoor hard-court event, seeing off Richard Gasquet 6-3 7-6 (7-3). 

Sebastian Korda was the first man to seal a quarter-final spot, sending third seed Lorenzo Musetti packing with a 6-3 7-6 (8-6) victory in the last match of the day.

Meanwhile, Alexander Bublik, Gregoire Barrere and Benjamin Bonzi were the other first-round winners.