(Dubai) Russia’s Daniil Medvedev snapped Serbian world number one Novak Djokovic’s 20-game winning streak and reached the Dubai Tennis Championship final with a 6-4, 6-4 straight-set triumph on Friday .
Third seed in the competition, Medvedev will find in the final his compatriot and defending champion Andrey Rublev, who had taken the measure of the German Alexander Zverev for the first time in his career, earlier in the day.
Former world number one, Medvedev showed up in Dubai after winning the tournaments in Rotterdam and Doha. His win over Djokovic earned him a 13e game in a row, the second longest winning streak of his career.
Medvedev had two breaks of service in the opening set and another to start the second set. He ended the duel on his first match point.
Medvedev had not defeated Djokovic since the 2021 U.S. Open final, where he won his only career Grand Slam title. This triumph deprived Djokovic of the calendar Grand Slam, a feat no one has achieved in men’s singles since 1969. Djokovic won the four matches that followed.
PHOTO: KAMRAN JEBREILI, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Daniel Medvedev
However, Medvedev is 5-3 against Djokovic when the Serb sits at the top of the world rankings.
Previously, Rublev needed six match points to defeat Zverev 6-3, 7-6 (9). Ranked sixth, Rublev saved a set point in the second set tiebreaker.
PHOTO: KAMRAN JEBREILI, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Andrey Rublev
The 25-year-old tennis player had lost his previous five encounters against longtime friend Zverev. Rublev also participated in a first semi-final since the French Open last June.
