In an unexpected twist at the Dubai Championships this Thursday, Tallon Griekspoor pulled off a spectacular win against top-seeded Daniil Medvedev, securing a place in the semifinals. Despite Medvedev taking the first set 6-2, Griekspoor held his nerve and saved four match points, eventually triumphing 7-6 (7), 7-5.
Reflecting on his victory, the Dutch player seemed almost in disbelief. “After winning the second set, I found myself wondering how I was still in the tournament,” Griekspoor admitted. “Honestly, I thought I’d be heading to Indian Wells by now. Sometimes, luck just plays its part.”
His journey to this point has been anything but easy. In the opening round, Griekspoor narrowly defeated Roman Safiullin, surviving by saving three match points. He then stunned defending champion Ugo Humbert in the following match.
Ecstatic about his victory over sixth-ranked Medvedev, Griekspoor exclaimed, “This is my best win in terms of ranking. I’m really thrilled with this outcome. It means the world to me.”
Next up, Griekspoor will face fourth-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas for a spot in the finals. Tsitsipas managed to overcome Matteo Berrettini in a match that ended 7-6 (5), 1-6, 6-4.
Meanwhile, Felix Auger-Aliassime clinched his semifinal spot by defeating 2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic 6-4, 3-6, 6-2. Auger-Aliassime’s next challenge will be against Quentin Halys, who, as a qualifier, has impressed by knocking out Luca Nardi with a scoreline of 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (5).
