Rublev Joins Federer-Djokovic Elite Company

Andrey Rublev's march to a fifth Dubai semi-final put him in truly rarefied air, a milestone only previously reached by tournament titans Roger Federer, an eight-time champion, and Novak Djokovic, a five-time winner. Federer holds the all-time record with an astounding 11 semi-final appearances at the ATP 500 event. Djokovic is second on that list with 10. The 28-year-old Russian, who won the Dubai title in 2022 and was a finalist in 2023, secured his spot in the final four with a straight-sets victory over Arthur Rinderknech of France. This win marked his fourth victory over Rinderknech in as many meetings. However, Rublev's bid for another Dubai final was halted by Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor. Despite a mid-match hamstring injury, Griekspoor defeated Rublev in a tight two-set battle, 7-5, 7-6 (6), to advance to the championship match. In the other semi-final, Daniil Medvedev ended Felix Auger-Aliassime's stellar February run with a 6-4, 6-2 victory. The win was Medvedev's eighth in ten career meetings against the Canadian. Prior to this loss, Auger-Aliassime had compiled an impressive 11-1 record for the month. Medvedev's victory set up a final against Griekspoor and gave him a chance to win the same tournament twice for the first time in his career, having lifted the Dubai trophy in 2023. The former world No. 1 holds 22 career titles, but had never previously won the same event more than once.