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Seeded players fall but Medvedev makes good start in Dubai Tennis
The 2021 US Open champion had little trouble in dismantling Germany's Jan-Lennard Struff 6-4 7-6
- PUBLISHED: Tue 25 Feb 2025, 10:21 PM
Undeterred by the mayhem on the second day of the ATP 500 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships which saw the fall of three seeded players, top seed Daniil Medvedev stormed into the round of 16.
The 2021 US Open champion had little trouble in dismantling Jan-Lennard Struff 6-4 7-6 even though the big-hitting German managed to push the Russian into a tie-break in the second set.
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Having withdrawn from his Qatar Open quarterfinal last week due to food poisoning, Medvedev looked in top shape on Tuesday evening, moving effortlessly on the court and hitting seven aces.
“The results don’t matter as much, you just need to play well in your matches,” the 29-year-old said during the on-court interview.
Medvedev, who will face rising French star Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in the round of 16 on Wednesday, revealed the key to his success against Struff on Tuesday.
“Jan’s biggest weapon is his serve and somehow I managed to read it well today. So I am just happy to be in the round of 16 now,” he said.
While Medvedev was smiling at the end of his match, Andrey Rublev, his best friend who won the Dubai title in 2022, was knocked out by French Qualifier Quentin Halys 6-3 4-6 7-6.
It wasn’t a memorable Dubai return for the Russian who was disqualified from his semifinal against Alexander Bublik here last year due to an outburst against a line official.
Kazakhstan’s Bublik, who finished runner-up last year, also lost his match to Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-7 7-6 6-3.
But the biggest upset of the day came in the afternoon when former US Open champion Marin Cilic sent second seed Alex de Minaur of Australia packing 6-2 3-6 6-3.
The thrilling three-set victory was the first win over for a top-10 players since 2022 for the 36-year-old Cilic, a former world number three.
"It means a lot. Looking at the bigger picture, I want to keep this going, keep the momentum, just build up on this, try to play full season hopefully on a good level, as good as possible, to keep it like this," the giant Croatian said.
"This gives me great confidence knowing that I can produce still these great matches. That's what it was all about in these last couple years. It was incredibly tough time for me battling through the injury, rehab, injury, rehab.
"But I still always kept belief that the game is there. Once I'm ready, once I'm fully fit, that I can compete with these guys. That means definitely a lot."
Meanwhile, fifth seed and defending champion Ugo Humbert of France beat Jiri Lehecka of the Czech Republic 6-3 6-0.
In the last match of the night on the centre court, Matteo Berrettini of Italy overcame Gael Monfils, the 38-year-old Frenchman, 7-5 6-4.
Rituraj Borkakoty is Sports Editor and has spent more than two decades writing on his sporting heroes. He also loves an underdog story, so if you have one, share it with him. He would love to bring it to life.