DUBAI, February 28, 2024 (Press Release)
Reigning champion Daniil Medvedev avoided an early scare to overcome a spirited performance by Lorenzo Sonego and secure a spot in the quarterfinals of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships with a 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 victory.
The World No. 4 looked shaky during the opening exchanges, winning just 53 per cent (10 of 19) of points behind his first delivery as counterpart Sonego took full advantage and deservedly won the first set. Medvedev, to his credit, recovered quickly and served with far more aggression in the second and third sets, firing off both wings and hitting pinpoint serves.
The decisive moment came during a tense fifth game in the final set as the No. 1 seed broke Sonego’s serve with a running forehand winner and safely saw out the match thereafter. Medvedev will face Alejandro Davidovich Fokina after Qatar Open finalist Jakub Mensik was forced to retire through injury early in the second set of their clash.
Daniil gets it done 👏
Defending Champ @DaniilMedwed is through to the #DDFTennis QF with a 3-6 6-3 6-3 win over Sonego! pic.twitter.com/2MNt4E3hEJ
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) February 28, 2024
Hubert Hurkacz will join Medvedev in the last eight after a battling 7-6(5), 6-4 victory over Australian Christopher O’Connell. The World No. 8 will make his fourth quarterfinal appearance in Dubai when he takes to the court to face Ugo Humbert, the French No. 1, on Thursday evening.
One man who will not be competing in the quarterfinals is Karan Khachanov after the No. 4 seed was sent crashing out of the tournament following Jiri Lehecka’s stunning 6-7(6), 7-6(5), 6-4 comeback victory.
The World No. 36 Lehecka knelt to the floor in elation after securing a spot in the last eight at the expense of in-form Khachanov, who had come into the match on the back of five straight wins. The 27-year-old won his sixth-career title in Doha last week and looked on course to continue that momentum after clinching the first set against Lehecka.
Lehecka had other ideas, though, saving five points during a tense second set, coming back from 0-3 in the tiebreak that later followed and from 2-4 in the third decisive set to secure a second top-20 win of the season after a mammoth three-hour clash on Court One.
Meanwhile, Sebastian Korda continued to enjoy his maiden Dubai tournament, needing just 43 minutes to breeze past Botic van de Zandschulp to set up a quarter-final meeting against 2022 winner Andrey Rublev.
Korda, the first son to follow in his father’s footsteps in featuring in the premier tennis tournament of the Middle East, dropped just one game in an emphatic 6-1, 6-0 victory over the Dutch No. 2.
