Former World Number one Daniil Medvedev proved he likes the faster conditions in the desert by beating top seed Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-4, 6-2 and reach the final of the Dubai Duty Free ATP500 Championships, where he will now face unseeded Tallon Griekspoor who also continued his fine week by beating former champion Andrey Rublev 7-5, 7-6(6).
Auger-Aliassime was aiming to reach the final for the second successive year, but forecasted a tough match against Medvedev who had commented on the faster balls, quicker court and drier conditions in the capital. He won the title here three years ago and extended his head-to-head rivalry with the Canadian to 8-2 after ending the match with another backhand winner down the line in 82 minutes.
“It has been an amazing four matches, probably playing better and better each match, today being the best performance,” said Medvedev. “If I can put an even better performance tomorrow, I will have my chances to win, and that is what I am going to try to do.”
Meanwhile in the other semi-final, Andrey Rublev was favourite to beat Griekspoor who started the match well but then landed awkwardly and requested a medical timeout at 6-5 ahead. Although hampered physically he still smashed down 11 aces and won the significant points in the next game to break serve for the first time and – perhaps slightly controversially – steal the first set.
Neither player lost serve in the second set and Rublev had chances to level the match when 6-4 ahead in the tie-break but could not convert there – nor on four breakpoint chances he created overall – and Griekspoor produced the shot of the match with a forehand crosscourt winner. Watched on by UFC legend Khabib Nurmagometov in the VIP box, Griekspoor fell to the floor after his win and will have to recover well before the final tomorrow.
The Dutchman’s previous title came last year in Mallorca and he has impressively beaten three top-20 players this week – Alexander Bublik, Jakub Mensik, and now Rublev.
Although Medvedev has a 13-3 record for the year and has already won a title in Brisbane in January, he is 0-1 down against Griekspoor who won their only previous encounter in the quarter-finals here last year in a three-set tussle lasting over two and half hours where he saved four match points.
An intriguing final awaits.
