Match Report
Medvedev dispatches Auger-Aliassime, faces Griekspoor in Dubai last
Griekspoor defeats Rublev 7-5, 7-6(6)
February 27, 2026
Getty Pictures
Daniil Medvedev defeats Felix Auger-Aliassime on Friday in Dubai.
By Sam Jacot
Is that this the week Daniil Medvedev lastly repeats a title win for the primary time in his profession? The third seed powered previous third seed Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-4, 6-2 on Friday to achieve the ultimate on the Dubai Obligation Free Tennis Championships.
Medvedev owns 22 tour-level titles and has earned each one at a unique occasion. On Saturday, he may have the possibility to vary that. The 2023 Dubai champion will face Tallon Griekspoor with the trophy on the road.
Medvedev arrived in his tenth profession assembly with Auger-Aliassime in prime type after beating Shang Juncheng, Stan Wawrinka and Jenson Brooksby in straight units earlier within the week. He managed the baseline exchanges in opposition to Auger-Aliassime, hanging with depth and precision to blunt the Canadian and enhance to 8-2 of their Lexus ATP Head2Head collection.
“It has been an incredible 4 matches, most likely enjoying higher and higher every match, right now being the most effective efficiency,” Medvedev stated. “If I can put an excellent higher efficiency tomorrow, I’ll have my possibilities to win and that’s what I’m going to attempt to do.”
In a managed efficiency, Medvedev seized the important thing moments. At 4-5, 30/40 within the first set, Auger-Aliassime missed a forehand vast handy Medvedev the opener. At 1-2 within the second set, the Canadian despatched one other forehand lengthy, giving Medvedev the break of serve. The No. 11 participant within the PIF ATP Rankings closed the match in 82 minutes with a clear backhand winner.
Auger-Aliassime was aiming to achieve the title match in Dubai for the second consecutive season. Earlier this month, the Canadian lifted the trophy in Montpellier. He now turns his focus to the BNP Paribas Open, the season’s first ATP Masters 1000 occasion.
Medvedev is into his second last of the season after successful his twentieth hard-court tour-level title in Brisbane in January. He’s now 13-3 on the yr, in keeping with the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index.
He’ll meet Griekspoor on Saturday after the Dutchman defeated 2022 champion Andrey Rublev 7-5, 7-6(6). Griekspoor saved two set factors within the second-set tie-break at 4/6 and fended off all six break factors he confronted within the match, in keeping with Infosys ATP Stats.
The 29-year-old is into his sixth tour-level last and first since he lifted the trophy on grass in Mallorca final June. The World No. 25 has been spectacular all through his run in Dubai, the place he has additionally defeated Alexander Bublik and Jakub Mensik. Along with his one-hour, 41-minute victory in opposition to World No. 18 Rublev, Griekspoor has now crushed three High 20 gamers in a row for the primary time in his profession, whereas he’s the primary Dutchman to achieve the title match in Dubai event historical past.
Griekspoor will take a 1-0 Lexus ATP Head2Head lead into Saturday’s last in opposition to Medvedev, having crushed the previous World No. 1 en path to the semi-finals in Dubai final yr.
