Medvedev vs Safiullin Prediction 28 September 2026
🔊 Daniil Medvedev and Roman Safiullin have known each other since childhood, and they will meet for the first time on the main ATP Tour in the semi-finals of the ATP 250 in Hangzhou. Medvedev is less than six months older than his compatriot, but the gap between them - both in ranking and hard-court results - is enormous. Safiullin has a losing career record in ATP Tour main draws: 41-50. We'll see whether he can at least make it a contest against the world number six.
Head-to-Head
📊 Daniil Medvedev and Roman Safiullin have no previous meetings on record.
Daniil Medvedev Player Overview
Daniil Medvedev arrives at the semi-final having won six of his last ten matches. He has already secured ranking points in Hangzhou, having gone one round further than last year after beating Valentin Royer (7-6, 6-3) and Chak Lam Coleman Wong (6-3, 6-7, 6-3). Medvedev holds serve in 79% of service games, aided in no small part by a powerful serve - averaging 11.7 aces at a first-serve percentage of 61%. In rallies he is patient and in no hurry to end points quickly. On return, the world No. 6 stands very deep behind the baseline, and his two-handed defensive backhand is extremely difficult to get through - though it serves him equally well in counter-attacking.
Match Results: Daniil Medvedev
Roman Safiullin Player Overview
Roman Safiullin has a comparable win record - also six wins from ten matches. Across three rounds in Hangzhou, he dropped just one set - to Quentin Halys in the round of 16 (5-7, 6-3, 6-4). He beat his other two Chinese opponents, Bu Yunchaokete and Sun Fajing, by margins of at least six games. His hold percentage stands at 80%. He is more consistent on serve, with a 66% first-serve percentage, but less prolific on winners, averaging just 6.2 per match. The bulk of his points come in rallies, where Safiullin plays with uncompromising aggression, pressing opponents from all areas of the court.
Match Results: Roman Safiullin
Key factors
- The average number of games per match involving Roman Safiullin is 24.9.
- Both players have a high game-winning percentage - 53% for Daniil Medvedev and 54% for Roman Safiullin.
- Both players have won 6 of their last 10 matches.
Expected scenario
Roman Safiullin will try to seize the initiative from the off with a powerful first serve and aggressive flat ball-striking, looking to keep rallies short and avoid the extended baseline exchanges where his opponent is most comfortable. Daniil Medvedev, standing well behind the baseline on return, will look to absorb that pace with his trademark counter-punching, drawing Roman into long, grinding baseline rallies and forcing him to go for too much - which, over the course of the match, is likely to produce runs of unforced errors.
Total Games Prediction
The consistency Roman Safiullin has found in Hangzhou suggests he can produce a decent level of play even against a top opponent, driven by his own aggression. Daniil Medvedev has not been particularly reliable in recent months and, as the quarter-final against Coleman Wong made clear, has been allowing even players ranked outside the top 100 to show their best attacking tennis.
⭐ Editor's Pick
Both players arrive at this match in decent working form, with strong hold rates on serve - a factor that arguably favours Roman Safiullin more. The key variable will be his accuracy: if his ultra-aggressive attacking play breaks down and leads to unforced errors, Daniil Medvedev will cover the court fully and grind his opponent down in extended rallies. That said, the top-ten player has rarely looked like his best self in recent months, so we have little doubt that the underdog has a real chance of staying close on the scoreboard, or at the very least avoiding a quick defeat. Our pick: Total Games - Over 21.5.
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Betting Tips: Daniil Medvedev - Roman Safiullin
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