Overview
- Daniil Medvedev beat top seed Félix Auger‑Aliassime 6-4, 6-2 in 83 minutes, improving their head-to-head to 8-2 and advancing without dropping a set all week.
- Medvedev dominated on serve against Auger‑Aliassime, winning 88% of first-serve points and not facing a break point, as he targets a second Dubai crown after 2023.
- Unseeded Tallon Griekspoor upset 2022 champion Andrey Rublev 7-5, 7-6 (6), saving two set points in the tiebreak to reach the final.
- Griekspoor took a late first‑set medical timeout for a hamstring/groin issue, then returned to close out Rublev, raising questions about his fitness for the title match.
- The ATP 500 event at Dubai’s Aviation Club runs Feb. 23–28 on outdoor hard courts, with roughly $3.3 million in prize money; Griekspoor’s path included wins over Alexander Bublik and Jakub Mensik.