Canadian top-ranked player Felix Auger-Aliassime secured his place in the semi-finals of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships after defeating Jiri Lehecka 6-3, 7-6. Auger-Aliassime demonstrated a commanding performance, serving 16 aces and winning 83 percent of points on his first serve, while successfully saving both breakpoints he encountered. This victory marks his third consecutive semi-final appearance following his strong showings in Montpellier and Rotterdam earlier this year. Auger-Aliassime is aiming to surpass last year’s effort in Dubai, where he fell to Stefano Tsitsipas in the later rounds.
“It was difficult with the shade and the wind at the start of the match, but I think the second set was a very high level; Jiri stayed very tough,”
Auger-Aliassime reflected.
“He served great and I had to dig deep in that tiebreak to stay sharp, stay precise, and then, you know, be clinical,”
he added.
Looking ahead to his upcoming semi-final against Daniil Medvedev, Auger-Aliassime acknowledged the challenge:
“We have very different game styles. I’m going to try to come forward, he will try and make me miss. We’ll see who gets the better of the game plan. He’s had the better of me. It took me seven or eight times before beating him. He’s one of the greatest players of our generation. At times he never misses, so I’m going to need to try to find a way to make him miss a few balls. He’s yet to drop a set this week too, so it’s going to be tough.”
Daniil Medvedev Dominates to Reach Semi-Finals
Daniil Medvedev advanced to the semi-finals with an emphatic 6-2, 6-1 victory over Jenson Brooksby, maintaining flawless momentum in the tournament. The Russian, a former Dubai champion, controlled the match with clinical baseline play and in less than an hour displayed one of the most decisive performances in recent memory at the event. Having previously defeated Brooksby in straight sets almost four years ago, Medvedev showed consistent form and precision throughout the contest.
“I’m really happy with my level and feel I’m getting better and better every match,”
Medvedev remarked.
“I feel like I play well in Dubai. I remember making semis one time here when, a little bit like Jenson today, I was not serving too well and had an issue with my shoulder. But I like to play here, I like the court, it plays pretty fast, which is not so common on the Tour right now, so it feels great and I’m looking forward to the semis,”
he added.
Andrey Rublev Advances Following Commanding Win
Fifth seed Andrey Rublev displayed his offensive capabilities to defeat Arthur Rinderknech 6-2, 6-4 in just over an hour. Rublev employed a combination of powerful forehands, sharp footwork, and strong returning to pressure the big-serving Frenchman, who had recently beaten Jack Draper. Consistently disrupting Rinderknech’s rhythm, Rublev capitalized on key opportunities to break serve and controlled the pace throughout both sets.
“It’s tough to say something about my level because Arthur is the kind of player who breaks the rhythm,”
Rublev commented.
“He doesn’t play rallies. He hits two or three shots, serves super hard, returns super hard, so there is no rhythm. That’s why it is important to have all the focus on the first two, three shots. All my game was based on those first two or three shots; to not let him get a good position to attack and instead force him to hit from tough positions. The opportunities he gave me; I was able to return well and aggressively to put pressure on him.”
Rublev, who has now improved his head-to-head record over Rinderknech to 4-0, also expressed satisfaction about reaching another semi-final this season following his runs in Hong Kong and Doha.
“I’m happy to be back in the semi-final,”
he said.
“Arthur is a tough player. We have had great battles in the past, so I’m really happy that I was able to win in straight sets, especially after a long and tough [quarterfinal] match, to be able to win in straight sets helps a lot as I’ll have more time to recover.”
Tallon Griekspoor Overcomes Stiff Competition in Last Quarterfinal
In the final quarter-final match of the day, Tallon Griekspoor prevailed over Jakub Mensik 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 despite facing 16 aces from his opponent. Griekspoor controlled the initial stages of the match with strong serving and solid baseline play. Although Mensik raised his level in the second set, Griekspoor responded by elevating his serve and return game in the deciding set to secure the victory.
“I thought I started off really, really well,”
Griekspoor said.
“Broke him with a good game from my side. I didn’t really have any problems. It shifted a little bit in the second set, I didn’t make as many first serves and he started to serve better. At the beginning of the third set, I had to up my game, serve better, which I really did. In the end I started to return really well, so I am very pleased with the win.”
Upcoming Semi-Final Showdown Highlights Tournament
The stage is now set for an intense semi-final between Daniil Medvedev and Felix Auger-Aliassime in Dubai. Both players have exhibited high levels of skill and determination to reach this point, with Medvedev not having dropped a set so far and Auger-Aliassime showing resilience against tough opponents. This matchup promises an intriguing contrast in playing styles and a tightly contested battle on the fast Dubai courts.
Given Medvedev’s experience and prior success at this event, along with Auger-Aliassime’s improving form and relentless effort, the clash holds significant implications for their momentum heading into the latter stages of the tennis season. Fans and analysts alike will be watching closely to see which player can execute their strategies most effectively and advance to the final round.
