Danil Medvedev came back from one set down to beat defending champion and world number 21 Karen Khachanov 4-6 7-5 6-3 at the Qatar Mobil Exxon Open in Doha.
Medvedev claimed his first win over a top 30 player in 2025.
The match featured many rallies extending beyond the 50-shot mark.
Medvedev saved six break points in the fifth game to take a 3-2 lead. Khachanov broke in the seventh game to take a 4-3 lead and won his next two service games to close out the first set 6-4.
Medvedev earned his first break point until the 12th game of the second set, when he broke serve on the set point to clinch the second set 7-5 levelling the match to one set apiece.
Medvedev broke serve at 30 in the fourth game of the third set and held serve at 15 to open up a 4-1 lead. Khachanov saved a match point when he was serving to stay in the match in the eighth game. Medvedev served out the win on on his fourth match point.
Medvedev has not won a tournament since the Rome Masters 1000 in May 2023. He lost to Learner Tien in the second round at the Australian Open last January.
Fifth seed Andrey Rublev beat Alexander Bublik 6-3 6-4 to improve to 5-2 in his seven head-to-head series against Bublik. Rublev remains on a collision course for a potential quarter final match against second-seed De Minaur. Rublev broke in the eighth game to take a 5-3 lead and served out with a hold at 15. Rublev broke serve in the first game of the second set at deuce. Bublik converted his third break-back point in the fourth game to draw level to 2-2. Rublev broke in the fifth game and held serve at 30 to take a 4-2 lead. The Russian player sealed the win on his first match point.
