Photo credit: Tnani Badreddine-DeFodi-Getty
Going nose-to-nose near net, Daniil Medvedev spun a diagonal backhand pass that eluded Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard’s wide wingspan.
In a match of extender v. exterminator, Medvedev played with precision pushing past Mpetshi Perricard 6-4, 6-4 into his third consecutive Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships quarterfinal.
The 2023 Dubai champion Medvedev actually out-served the 6’8” Mpetshi Perricard, who Nick Kyrgios calls the game’s biggest server. Medvedev doubled the Frenchman’s ace output—six to three—won 23 of 24 first-serve points and did not face a break point in a clean 82-minute conquest.
“It's not easy, but I feel in a way tactically it’s easier,” Medvedev said. “Because it’s most important to be strong on your serve. So you make sure you get to the tiebreak. And I was very good on my serve today so that helped.
“And I guess you start to put the pressure on his serve step-by-step, try to maybe guess on one. In general, I’m happy my level. I think I had more opportunities to break. So I’m happy that it finally worked out.”
In a match attacker v. absorber, Medvedev drained 44 unforced errors from the explosive Frenchman, while he was credited with only five errors of his own.
Facing the wrecking ball serve of Mpetshi Perricard simplifies tactics, said Medvedev: no time to panic so just play.
“The thing is that in a way it’s much tougher to return a serve 230 kph than 190,” Medvedev said in his on-court interview. “But in a way when it’s 190 you kind of have small time to think what do I do.
“Here you don’t have any time so it’s pure reflexes and sometimes it makes life even easier. Because, as I say, you don’t think much. If you don’t return it you are not even disappointed. When there were some second serves and I missed it then I was disappointed. So you try to do your best and I managed pretty well today.”
Mpetshi Perricard erased two break points in the opening game as Medvedev did a good job putting returns back in play.
On his third break point of the game, and fifth of the set, Medvedev returned a 133 mph serve to start the point, repelled some heavy forehands from the Frenchman and eventually drew an errant inside-out forehand. Mpetshi Perricard’s 22nd unforced error of the set gave Medvedev the break and a 5-4 lead.
Dasha, Medvedev’s wife, exhaled deeply from the player box in a physical sign of that break’s importance.
The top seed sped through his first love hold of the match to seize the opening set in 39 minutes. Medvedev committed just three unforced errors—21 fewer than the towering Frenchman.
Despite serving an unsightly 35 percent in the first set, Medvedev managed to win 12 of 17 second-serve points in the set. Mpetshi Perricard, as is his way, went big on second serve, but sometimes paid the price. He hit three of his five double faults in in ceding that ninth game.
Deadlocked at 4-all in the second set, Mpetshi Perricard saved two break points, including a lunging, slick forehand stab volley to save the first, but framed a forehand to face a third break point.
When Mpetshi Perricard clanked his sixth double fault wide, Medvedev had the second break and a 5-4 lead. The top seed served out the win at 15.
Former world No. 1 Medvedev, playing for his first Tour-level title since 2023 Rome, will face Tallon Griekspoor for the first time with a semifinal spot on the line.
“My immediate goal is to get back to my level. That’s when I can be, in a way, unstoppable, closing out matches quickly,” Medvedev told the media. “I was not far off in many situations this year, but things didn’t go my way.
"I found it in Doha, and now it’s time to find it in Dubai.”
Griekspoor Defeats Defending Champion Humbert
Tallon Griekspoor is thriving with new life after near tournament death.
Griekspoort saved three match points edging Roman Safiullin in his opener.
An empowered Griekspoor pumped 13 aces dethroning defending Dubai champion Ugo Humbert 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.
World No. 47 Griekspoor saved six of seven break points snapping Humbert’s six-match winning streak.
The left-handed Frenchman was bidding to join Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic as the third man to successfully defend Dubai.
However Griekspoor played pivotal points more effectively racing out to a 5-1 lead in the final set.
Recharged Cilic to Face Auger-Aliassime In Quarterfinals
The 36-year-old Marin Cilic continues to make his mark in the desert.
Playing Dubai on a protected ranking, Cilic saved three of four break points in a 5-7, 6-3, 6-4 win over Alexei Popyrin.
A day after Cilic upset second-seeded Alex de Minaur, he defeated another dangerous Aussie today.
Former world No. 3 Cilic will face Felix Auger-Aliassime for a place in the semifinals.
Auger-Aliassime outlasted Nuno Borges 4-6, 6-3, 7-5. Cilic, who started this season ranked No. 182, has risen to No. 141 in the live rankings with this Dubai run.