Photo credit: Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships Facebook
Propping his feet up, Daniil Medvedev tuned into a Tuesday of tremors and upsets.
Then the top-seeded Medvedev pushed the right buttons stopping a Jan-Lennard Struff stress test 6-4, 7-6(4) to win a tense Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships opener.
MORE: Andreeva Sweeps Swiatek in Dubai
Playing for his first tournament title since the 2023 Rome on red clay, Medvedev beat big-serving Struff for the eighth time in nine meetings.
Rather than hide from some of the seismic shocks that saw second-seeded Alex de Minaur, third-seeded Andrey Rublev and eighth-seeded Arthur Fils all fall in upsets today, Medvedev watched it all go down tuning into TV coverage like a good tennis fan.
The surprises did not spook Medvedev.
“I watch every match because the results don't matter in the big picture,” Medvedev said in his on-court interview. “You just need to play well. I like to watch tennis. I watched the matches, no stress before coming on court.”
Cilic Deposes Demon
World No. 187 Marin Cilic created carnage to the draw in today’s opener on Centre Court.
The former US Open champion Cilic shocked second-seeded Alex de Minaur 6-2, 3-6, 6-3.
Playing Dubai on a protected ranking, Cilic converted all four break points he earned, exploiting more than 30 unforced errors from the usually precise world No. 8 in a two hour, 17-minute win.
It is the 36-year-old Croatian’s first Top 10 win since 2022 Roland Garros when he beat No. 2 Medvedev and No. 7 Andrey Rublev en route to the semifinals.
“It was a great start for me,” said Cilic after beating the man nicknamed Demon for the third time in five meetings. “Winning the first three games, getting a feel for the court, the conditions. It was a little bit gusty, but I was feeling the ball extremely well. I know how dangerous Alex is…
“He is an incredible runner on the court, he gets some balls that nobody gets. I had to stay patient but aggressive. I’m just so pleased that I was able to keep that great level throughout the whole match.”
Cilic scored his first Dubai win since he reached successive quarterfinals in 2009 and 2010. Former world No. 3 Cilic will face another dangerous Aussie, Alexei Popyrin, in the round of 16.
Qualifier Halys Repels Rublev
Andrey Rublev showed great grit out-dueling Jack Draper in the Doha final on Saturday.
French qualifier Quentin Halys showed fearsome firepower torching 18 aces in a 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(5) upset of the third-seeded Rublev to register the biggest win of his career.
World No. 77 Halys fought of 10 of 12 break points and converted his third match point to edge Doha champion Rublev in a two hour, 12-minute triumph.
The 28-year-old Frenchman scored his first ATP 500-level match win after an 0-7 start in 500-level matches.
"Today is the best victory of my career," Halys said. "Tomorrow, I'm going to go on court and fight again."
Next up for Halys is a round of 16 clash vs. Roberto Bautista Agut. The slew of upsets have left the bottom half of the draw devoid of seeds meaning the bottom half quarters will consist of unseeded players.
Medvedev Aims to Get Back on Track
Meanwhile, the top-seeded Medvedev, who was forced out of last week’s Doha quarterfinals due to a bout with the flu, took the court trying to kick-start his season after losing to American qualifier Learner Tien at the Australian Open and parting with ex-coach Gilles Simon.
Carrying a pedestrian 6-4 record on the season into this match, Medvedev was short on both match play and confidence compared to the 14-2 record he held when he won the 2023 Dubai title.
Today, the lanky Russian capitalized on a favorable bounce for the early break. A Struff shot clipped the tape and sat up. Medvedev fired a forehand pass to break for 2-1.
The top seed saved a break point consolidating for 3-1 then earned triple break point and was in position to blow out the first set.
A tough Struff saved all three break points to edge closer at 2-3.
One of the reasons for Medvedev’s near two-year title drought is it’s harder for him to hold now than it was during his prime playing days.
These days, Medvedev is No. 37 on the ATP in service games held in 2025 at 81.25%. He’s not in the Top 10 in first-serve points won or second-serve points won. Consequently, Medvedev’s serve games are grinding.
Facing three break points as he served for the opening set, Medvedev made a stirring stand, stinging three aces and closing the 45-minute opener with a serve winner.
If Medvedev goes deep in this draw, he may well look back at that 10th game as the launching pad.
Overall, Medvedev snapped seven aces, won 31 of 39 first-serve points and erased all four break points he faced in an important victory.
In the second-set tiebreaker, Medvedev raced out to a 5-0 lead. A stubborn Struff saved three match points to creep closer at 4-6. On his fourth match point, Medvedev lured the German forward with the drop shot then redirected a forehand pass to finish in one hour, 43 minutes.
“I’m happy with my level because he’s still a very very strong opponent so it’s good to be in the second round,” Medvedev said. “I was definitely in Doha for sure the flu was not the best ending of the tournament, but I hope to try to get what I have been building since the start of the season here in Dubai or later in the season.
“But it was a good start so I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”
The draw only gets tougher as Medvedev faces Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in the round of 16 in a clash of massive server vs. accurate returner. Mpetshi Perricard leads the ATP in service games won this season at 96.15%.