After a challenging second-round match, top seed Daniil Medvedev enjoyed a smoother victory on Thursday, defeating Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-2, 6-3 in the quarterfinals of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.
Medvedev, who had previously battled to victory against Lorenzo Sonego, showcased an impressive performance against Spain’s Davidovich Fokina, delivering 15 winners, three aces, and only six unforced errors to secure the win in just one hour and 17 minutes.
In another quarterfinal match, fifth seed Ugo Humbert of France triumphed over third seed Hubert Hurkacz of Poland with a hard-fought victory of 3-6, 7-6 (8), 6-3, advancing to face Medvedev in the semifinals. Humbert demonstrated resilience by saving three match points in the second-set tiebreak, ultimately hitting 24 winners during the match, which lasted two hours and 24 minutes.
Two more seeded players progressed to the next round as their unseeded opponents retired due to injury during their quarterfinal matches. Second seed Andrey Rublev of Russia secured a victory over American Sebastian Korda with a score of 6-4, 4-3 (retired), while seventh seed Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan advanced past the Czech Republic’s Jiri Lehecka with a score of 6-4, 4-1 (retired).
