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Daniil Medvedev moved to within one win of capturing his third consecutive tour-level title Friday when he ended Novak Djokovic’s perfect start to the season at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.

In the 14th chapter of their rivalry, Medvedev was locked in from ball one, triumphing 6-4, 6-4 to extend his winning streak to 13 matches. The third seed stood deep behind the baseline to soak up Djokovic’s ball-striking. Medvedev committed just 12 unforced errors compared to 38 from Djokovic and he was rapid around the court, chasing down a number of drop shots to advance after one hour and 35 minutes.

“When you play against Novak you just have to play your best,” Medvedev said. “Kind of hope he doesn’t play his best on the day because when he plays his best, well he has 22 Grand Slams, so even if you play your best, it is going to be tough, not sure you win.

“I managed to play a higher level than him today. In the second set I didn’t face one break point, but there were so many 30/30 games. But I managed to stay composed and I am happy to be in the final tomorrow.”

The 27-year-old lifted tour-level titles in Rotterdam and Doha in February. He will aim to clinch his 18th tour-level crown and 17th on hard courts when he faces Andrey Rublev in the championship match on Saturday.

Lloyd Glasspool and Harri Heliovaara are firing on all cylinders at the 2023 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.

The British-Finnish duo, who haven’t dropped a set this week, didn’t face a break point en route to ousting top seeds Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic 6-4, 6-2 in Friday’s semi-final at the ATP 500.

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In 2022, Glasspool and Heliovaara completed a career-best season and made the final four at the coveted Nitto ATP Finals. However, there was one team they couldn’t get past: Croatians Mektic and Pavic, who were a perfect 3-0 against Glasspool and Heliovaara including wins in Turin, at Queen's Club, and a five-set victory at Wimbledon.

Three-time tour titlists Glasspool and Heliovaara will next look to collect their second crown of this season (Adelaide 1). The third seeds will face Maxime Cressy and Fabrice Martin or Belgian duo Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen in Saturday’s championship match.

Andrey Rublev recorded his first victory over Alexander Zverev in his sixth attempt Friday to move to within one win of defending his Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships title.

The second seed, who saved five match points earlier this week against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, had not won a set in his five previous meetings against seventh-seeded German Zverev. However, Rublev flipped the script with a clean-hitting performance at the ATP 500 event, saving one set point in the second set to triumph 6-3, 7-6(9) on his sixth match point after one hour and 58 minutes.

“I was thinking it was going to be a third set. I was preparing mentally for the third set but I somehow saved a set point,” Rublev said. “I had a couple of match points but he played well but in the end at 9/9, I made a good return and then I said ‘Ok, let’s try to make it here’. I won a crazy rally and I was lucky. It was a super intense tie-break.”

Rublev is aiming to become the third repeat champion in Dubai, joining Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. The 25-year-old, who defeated Jiri Vesely in last year’s final, will face top seed Djokovic or third seed Daniil Medvedev in his first championship match of the season.

“We are really good friends, we have known each other since 10 or 11 years old. We have been together since juniors,” Rublev said of his relationship with Zverev. “He was always like an older brother to me and in all the previous matches he beat me. Today when I was going on court I thought I had nothing to lose. He always beats me, so why need to be tight.”

The top-seeded duo of Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski were the lone seeds to advance to the quarter-finals at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC. On Thursday, the Dutch-British team stayed on course for its first title of 2023 with a second straight-sets win on the week.

Koolhof/Skupski defeated Rio de Janeiro semi-finalists Sadio Doumbia and Fabien Reboul 6-4, 6-4 to advance to the last four in Acapulco. They did not face a break point in the match and won 83 per cent of their first-serve points in the win. Despite losing one of the points of the week, when a Reboul lob capped a defensive masterclass from the French team, the top seeds are through to their second semi-final of the season.

Their next opponents will be Austrians Alexander Erler and Lucas Miedler, who beat William Blumberg and Casper Ruud 6-4, 6-3.

In the day's most dramatic match, Andre Goransson and Ben McLachlan edged Americans Mackenzie McDonald and Ben Shelton 6-1, 6-7(4), 11-9. The Swedish-Japanese team clinched victory on its fourth match point after missing out on two on serve at 5-4 in the second set. In the Match Tie-break, they fell behind 7/8 after holding leads of 5/0 and 7/2, but recovered to win four of the last five points.

SFs Set In Dubai
Two straightforward Thursday quarter-finals rounded out the last four at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.

In a Thursday matchup of the top two Americans in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, Taylor Fritz underlined his status as the No. 1 man from the United States with a straight-sets win against Frances Tiafoe at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC.

The Acapulco third seed earned a 6-3, 6-4 victory in an entertaining match that crescendoed as it neared its conclusion. Tiafoe, playing to the crowd, turned on the style with an underhand serve and a slew of drop shots as he tried to recover an early break in the second set. But Fritz, who landed just 50 per cent of his first serves, finished the job to reach his third semi-final in as many events.

"I'm happy with how I played the big points," said the 25-year-old, who saved all four break points he faced, including three in the second set. "It's really easy to get frustrated with myself when I'm missing every first serve.

"It's really easy to get down on myself for that, and I kind of just fought it out, accepted that I'm going to have to play and grind out all these points and I wasn't going to be getting the amount of free points that I'm used to getting. I'm pretty proud of how I competed through a lot of those long games on my serve."

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Tomas Martin Etcheverry played one of the best matches of his career to defeat fellow Argentine Francisco Cerundolo on Thursday at the Movistar Chile Open. The 23-year-old earned a 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 victory on his fifth match point in Santiago to reach his second ATP Tour quarter-final.

Fuelled by a strong serving day and aggressive hitting off his forehand wing, Etcheverry scored the second Top 50 win of his career by beating the World No. 32. The good friends shared a warm embrace at the net following the match.

"Francisco is one of my best friends on the ATP and in life," Etcheverry said after his two-hour, 28-minute victory. "It was an incredible match for me. I think I started with pressure because it's hard to play with a friend. We know each other a lot. I made the difference in the first set when I got the break, and the same in the last set."

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Both of Etcheverry's quarter-final runs have come this season; he also reached the last eight in Buenos Aires two week ago. After recording three tour-level wins in 2022, he has already notched five this season, including his Santiago first-round win against Fabio Fognini.

Novak Djokovic is one of the toughest puzzles to solve in sports. The World No. 1 frustrates the best players in the world and quickly finds an answer to every question they pose. Even when the Serbian is not at his best, he manages to stay in contact before delivering a heartbreaking blow in the most critical moment. The 35-year-old has shown that plenty in 2023 en route to his 15-0 start to the season.

But on Friday, in the semi-finals of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, Djokovic will face a different challenge. The top seed will play the winner of 12 consecutive matches, Daniil Medvedev, the one man who consistently frustrates him like the five-time Dubai champion does everyone else on the ATP Tour.

Djokovic leads the pair’s ATP Head2Head series 9-4, but that record does not tell the full story of their matchup. The Serbian has enjoyed a legendary rivalry with Rafael Nadal, but that is a different clash of styles entirely. Nobody drives Djokovic crazy the way Medvedev does.

“Daniil is one of the best players in the world the last five years. Grand Slam winner. Former No. 1 in the world. Not much to talk about,” Djokovic said. “His quality is as tough as it gets when you are supposed to face someone on the hard court, particularly.”

Watch Medvedev Thursday Hot Shot:

Tennis United took on a new meaning Thursday. ATP player Bjorn Fratangelo and WTA player Madison Keys, longtime partners, announced their engagement on social media.

“Forever ?,” they wrote on Instagram with a picture of their hands, a ring on Keys’ ring finger.

Their friends quickly congratulated the Americans on their special moment.

“Yesssssssssssss!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Sloane Stephens wrote. “We are getting married!!!!!!!!!!! ??????”

There is nothing quite like coming back from the brink to claim victory. Just ask Andy Murray and Andrey Rublev.

Both players have saved at least one match point en route to a win three times in 2023, a remarkable tally considering the season is just more than two months old. Between them, the pair is responsible for more than 27 per cent (6/22) of all such comebacks completed on the ATP Tour in the year so far.

Andy Murray & Andrey Rublev: Victories After Saving Match Point In 2023

The most recent of these unlikely comebacks took place on Wednesday at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, where Rublev rallied from 1/6 in the second-set tie-break before defeating Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in three sets. It is the third tournament in a row in which the World No. 6 has saved match points to prevail, and he later spoke of the unique emotions that such victories produce.

“These matches, when they’re over, and somehow you win them, it's always special,” said Rublev after his second-round win. “I have no words to describe it.

Novak Djokovic is moving closer to his devastating best.

The World No. 1 answered all the questions fifth seed Hubert Hurkacz asked Thursday at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, where he defeated the Pole 6-3, 7-5 to reach the quarter-finals. If Daniil Medvedev defeats Borna Coric in the last match of the day, it will set a blockbuster showdown between the former World No. 1 and Djokovic in the last four at the ATP 500 event.

"It was a challenging match as it always is against Hubert. One of the best guys on the Tour, definitely," Djokovic said in his on-court interview. "Fantastic personality. Very lovable guy, a great relationship with everyone. He’s always respectful. I wish him all the best for the rest of the season."

Hurkacz threw everything in his deep arsenal at Djokovic on centre court. From winning a point after hitting a tweener in the early moments of the match to putting pressure on the Serbian by moving forward, the Pole tried to take the 35-year-old out of his comfort zone.

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Abdullah Shelbayh made tennis history in February. Throughout his professional breakthrough, the 2021 Rafa Nadal Academy graduate, who played at the University of Florida for one year before turning pro, has received encouragement and guidance from some well-known names within the sport.

The 19-year-old followed up a run to the final at the Manama Challenger (l. Kokkinakis) by traveling to the ATP 250 event in Doha, where he became the first Jordanian to play a Tour-level match.

“Ben Shelton texted me before the final in Bahrain. He wished me luck,” Shelbayh said. “He’s a great friend, we were at University for one year together. One of my closest friends there actually. He’s doing pretty well for himself.

“Rafa’s team texted me. His coach Carlos Moya and Uncle Toni were reaching out quite often during those two weeks. They’re always in touch when I’m at tournaments.”

After a long road back, Alexander Zverev is showing plenty of promising signs this week at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.

The German defeated Lorenzo Sonego 7-5, 6-4 on Thursday at the hard-court ATP 500 to reach his first semi-final since he suffered a serious ankle injury at Roland Garros in 2022. In a clash between two of the biggest servers on Tour, Zverev clinched a decisive single break in both sets for his sixth tour-level win of the year.

“It’s been a very difficult time for me over, I would say, the last nine months,” said Zverev in his on-court interview. “I haven’t played tennis at all for such a long period for the first time in my life. It definitely shows that the hard work is paying off and I’m extremely happy with my progress and how I’m playing right now.

“I’m happy to be in my first semi-final since the injury. Hopefully it won’t be my last and hopefully there’s much more to come here.”

Zverev has been searching for his best level since returning to competitive action after seven months at the United Cup. The former World No. 2 had won just two tour-level matches this season prior to this week, but he has dropped only one set in his opening three rounds against Jiri Lehecka, Christopher O’Connell and Sonego in Dubai.

Mackenzie McDonald and Ben Shelton sprung an opening-round upset on Wednesday at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC, where the American pairing took out fourth seeds Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah 7-6(5), 6-4 at the hard-court ATP 500.

McDonald and Shelton converted four of eight break points in Acapulco to notch their maiden ATP Tour win together at the second attempt. They held firm to win a first-set tie-break in which they were never behind before rallying from 2-4 in the second set to clinch an 89-minute victory.

Having played together for the first time at Tour-level in Delray Beach two weeks ago, McDonald and Shelton will now face Andre Goransson and Ben McLachlan in their maiden ATP Tour quarter-final as a team.

In other doubles action in Acapulco on Wednesday, William Blumberg and Casper Ruud downed Nicolas Mahut and Joe Salisbury 6-4, 6-4, while Nathaniel Lammons and Jackson Withrow defeated Marseille champions Santiago Gonzalez and Edouard Roger-Vasselin 6-4, 7-6(3).

Mektic/Pavic Move On In Dubai At the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, top seeds Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic booked a semi-final spot for the third consecutive year with a 3-6, 6-3, 10-7 win against Tomislav Brkic and Gonzalo Escobar.

Taylor Fritz delivered a clinical display Wednesday at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC, where the American advanced to the quarter-finals with a 6-4, 6-4 victory against Denis Shapovalov.

The World No. 5 converted three of five break points to defeat Shapovalov in 78 minutes at the ATP 500. He fired 20 winners, including seven aces, to reach the last eight in Acapulco for the third time in five appearances.

“I’m [pleased] with how I played a lot of the big points today,” said Fritz, one of the stars of Netflix's Break Point, after his victory. “I was very aggressive on the big points. I don’t necessarily love it when I play very tight and safe on big points. I feel really good when I’m being aggressive and taking my chances on those ones.”

[BREAK POINT]

Fritz’s quarter-final opponent in Mexico will be Frances Tiafoe, who he leads 5-1 in the pair’s ATP Head2Head series. The 25-year-old Fritz admitted that his friendship with Tiafoe added something extra to their on-court meetings, the most recent of which came in the Tokyo final last October.

It was a night Taro Daniel will never forget.

After Casper Ruud hit a final forehand into the net on the centre court of the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado for HSBC, the 30-year-old Japanese player fell to his knees and held his arms out in celebration. The qualifier had saved two match points en route to ousting World No. 4 Ruud 7-5, 2-6, 7-6(5) after two hours and 58 minutes to reach the quarter-finals in Acapulco.

“I think every time these victories feel more like my own. The first time I beat Djokovic, it felt a little bit like he was not playing very well,” Daniel said. “But this time I felt like I was really playing against Casper at a high level. I mean obviously he’s still coming back, he’s a bit rusty and all that. But still, I had to win it.

“It was a very physical battle, great atmosphere, so happy.”

Entering the match, Daniel had upset then-World No. 13 Novak Djokovic at Indian Wells in 2018, but had never earned a win against a Top 10 opponent (previously 0-8). The New York-born righty will face eighth seed Alex de Minaur for a place in the semi-finals. 

Jaume Munar caused an upset Wednesday at the Movistar Chile Open, where he ousted top seed Lorenzo Musetti 6-4, 6-4 to reach the quarter-finals.

The Spaniard had won both his previous meetings with Musetti, but both had come on the ATP Challenger Tour. A change in level did not change the result, as World No. 66 Munar advanced after one hour and 30 minutes.

“It was difficult for me to play today. [The court is] so much faster than on Monday night, and I tried to be focussed very much on my serve, tried to have variety in my game,” Munar said. “I knew that Lorenzo, he’s a great player. Of course he didn’t play his best today, but I tried to use my skills to move the opponent [out of] the comfort zone and I think I did it great today.”

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Munar, who won 87 per cent of his first-serve points against the Italian, is pursuing his first ATP Tour title this week. The 25-year-old is not getting ahead of himself, though.

“Bwehhhh, it’s Andrey Rublev! Very easy!”

There’s no stumping Casper Ruud when it comes to guessing familiar noises heard on the ATP Tour. The Norwegian became the star of the show in the latest edition of ATP Uncovered’s Head-To-Head series. This week, the players faced off in a ‘Guess The Grunt’ challenge.

Ben Shelton revealed his thought process as he pinned Shapovalov’s grunt: “It’s short and there’s not really an accent to it.”

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“It’s Denis [Shapovalov]?” said Shang Juncheng with a large smile across his face. “I didn’t even know he grunts! I should know that one, I’ve hit with him like a million times.”

Novak Djokovic is at the top of the sport, World No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings for a record 378th week. After advancing to the quarter-finals of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Wednesday, the Serbian made clear he has no intention of relinquishing his position without a fight.

“New generations are coming,” Djokovic said during his on-court interview. “But I’m not afraid.”

The 35-year-old paused before delivering the end of his message. And once he did, Djokovic cracked a wide smile. Whether the Serbian was joking or not, he has proven his words true.

Djokovic is now 14-0 on the season. Since the start of Rome last May, he has won 49 of his 52 matches, including 22 victories against Top 20 opposition.

During the World No. 1’s post-match press conference in Dubai after defeating Tallon Griekspoor 6-2, 6-3, a reporter asked about athletes throughout sports who were born in the 1980s — including himself, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and LeBron James — succeeding later into their careers.

Novak Djokovic did not play competitive tennis for a month prior to this week’s Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. Yet the World No. 1 appeared near his best in just his second match back on Wednesday, when he dismantled Tallon Griekspoor 6-2, 6-3 to reach the quarter-finals at the ATP 500.

Djokovic had shown frustration during his three-set battle with Czech qualifier Tomas Machac in the first round on Tuesday, but the 35-year-old struck the ball cleanly from the start on Wednesday against Griekspoor. Djokovic broke the No. 39-ranked Dutchman four times to race to an 82-minute victory against one of the in-form players on the ATP Tour.

“It’s been a great evening for me tonight,” said Djokovic in his on-court interview. “Yesterday I really had to work hard to get a win. Tonight, right from the blocks, I think I was sharp. I played definitely better-quality tennis than I did last night.

“Maybe the last three or four games weren’t the best to close the match, but I managed to find a good serve in the end. I’m very pleased with the performance and with the way I felt on the court, and hopefully things can go in the right direction for tomorrow.”

The five-time Dubai champion crashed 29 winners in a scintillating display of baseline hitting. Griekspoor, who entered the match with a 12-3 record for the season, could do little to counter in the face of Djokovic’s charge, as the Serbian comfortably maintained his record of never having lost before the quarter-finals in 13 appearances in Dubai.

Andrey Rublev produced one of the comebacks of the 2023 season so far on Wednesday at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, where he came back from the brink to defeat Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 1-6, 7-6(6), 7-6(3) in a remarkable second-round clash.

Facing five match points at 1/6 in the second-set tie-break, Rublev’s title defence at the ATP 500 hung by a thread. Yet he stayed focused to reel off seven points in a row and level the match in dramatic fashion, before holding his nerve again in the decider for a stunning two-hour, 25-minute victory.

It was the third time this year that Rublev has saved match points to triumph, and the second time in a week. The 25-year-old saved two match points en route to victory against Holger Rune in the fourth round at January’s Australian Open, and three match points before he defeated Tallon Griekspoor in his Doha opener seven days ago.

“It happened already [three times] this season and I’m super happy that I’m able to win these matches against [top players],” said Rublev post-match. “The beginning [of today’s match] wasn’t good. I got frustrated. He started really well, he was hitting really hard, and I didn’t have many options, but then, little by little, I started to play and started to fight.

“I started to be positive, and I made this crazy tie-break comeback from 1/6 that I’ve never done in my life before… I’m really, really happy.”