Top seeds shine as Medvedev, Bublik, Rublev and Humbert storm into Dubai Round of 16
Eight top-20 players compete alongside former Dubai titleholders this week
DUBAI – Under the afternoon sun at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, top seeds showcased their prowess on Day Two of the ATP 500 tournament.
Daniil Medvedev, the third seed and 2023 champion, delivered a clinical performance to defeat China’s Juncheng Shang 6-1, 6-3 in just over an hour. The World No. 11 dominated from the baseline, striking 20 winners and serving 10 aces, while capturing 81 per cent of his first-serve points. With this victory, Medvedev now sets up a Last-16 clash against Swiss former champion Stan Wawrinka.
Shang, ranked World No. 262, had shown promise earlier this year by reaching the quarterfinals in Hong Kong, but recent inconsistencies saw him lose three of his previous four matches, including a 4-6, 2-6 defeat to Medvedev in Doha last week. Despite a lopsided scoreline, the match featured moments of resistance. Early in the first set, Medvedev and Shang engaged in a 34-shot rally – one of the longest exchanges of the tournament – which drew murmurs of appreciation from the crowd before Medvedev finally claimed the point.
“Of course, I tried to play the same tactic [as last week] because if it works, you need to stick to it,” Medvedev said. “I knew he would of course try to adapt some things, so I tried to adapt to his adaptations and did that quite well. I saw he was struggling a bit at the end, but until then, I thought it was a fair match, and we were playing some pretty good points.”
When asked about the level of his game coming into a tournament featuring four other former Dubai champions and eight of the world’s top 20 players, Medvedev remained measured. “Actually, I shouldn’t judge myself too much just now. I lost a couple of matches lately and whenever you do it, you always feel like you are playing worse. I should try to pump myself up instead. I won 6-1, 6-3, so if we don’t put every point under the microscope, it was a good level in general. I look forward to the next match and raising my level even more.”
Bublik composed
Shortly after Medvedev’s post-match duties, second seed Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan, ranked World No. 10, took Centre Court to face Lucky Loser Jan-Lennard Struff. Entering the tie with a 3-2 head-to-head deficit, Bublik remained composed and efficient. He broke Struff’s serve in the opening game to take a 3-1 lead and maintained control throughout the first set, firing six aces while saving three break points to claim it 6-3.
In the second set, Struff responded with six aces of his own, but Bublik stayed unshaken. The Kazakh broke Struff’s serve in the 10th game to seal a 6-4 second set and secure a straight-sets victory in 66 minutes.
“I think I played a solid match,” Bublik said. “I mean, it's never easy to face Jan. I'm trailing a bit in the head-to-head, but I knew what I had to do. I knew what shots I have to execute to get more chances to win easily, and I think I did well in more important moments.”
Bublik, enjoying a career-high ranking of No. 10, insisted he prefers focusing on his game over the ranking itself. “It's just a number, and if you play well, you're going to have a better ranking. If you start losing matches, the ranking is going to go down very quickly if everyone else plays well. So, for me, it's more about keeping my game and enjoying the moment.”
Rublev and Humbert
Elsewhere on Day Two, fifth seed Andrey Rublev, the 2022 Dubai champion, defeated France’s Valentin Royer 6-3, 6-4 in one hour and 29 minutes. Rublev will now face France’s Ugo Humbert, the 2024 champion, who pulled off a major upset by eliminating 2025 titleholder Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-4, 7-5 in a match lasting one hour and 26 minutes. Humbert’s victory underlined the unpredictability and high standard of play at this year’s tournament.
Seventh seed Karen Khachanov of Russia also progressed, overcoming Kazakhstan’s Alexander Shevchenko, a qualifier, 6-7 (5-7), 6-2, 6-3 in a two-hour-and-12-minute battle. After dropping the first set, Khachanov produced a dominant performance in the second and third sets to secure his spot in the Round of 16.
Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships
The Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, now in its 34th edition, continues to feature an elite field with eight players ranked in the world’s top 20 alongside multiple former Dubai champions. The day’s results reaffirmed the depth of competition, with Medvedev, Bublik, Rublev, Humbert, Khachanov, and Wawrinka all demonstrating both skill and composure.
Owned and organised by Dubai Duty Free under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the tournament runs until Saturday. Tickets remain available starting from Dh65.