By Richard Pagliaro Friday, February 27, 2026
Photo credit: Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships
Daniil Medvedev Sent another precise pass blurred Felix Auger-Aliassime The lanky Canadian looked like a commuter watching the last buses whizz past him.
Former world No. 1 Medvedev loves a goal and he hit it today to reach the Dubai final for the second time.
The highly skilled Medvedev defeated Auger-Aliassime 6-4, 6-2 to advance to his 42nd tour final at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.
It was Medvedev’s first top-10 win since beating seventh-ranked Alex De Minaur at the Shanghai ATP Masters 1000 in October.
Dubai 2023 champion Medvedev will compete for his second title of the year tomorrow as he continues his quest to become a two-time champion. All 22 of Medvedev’s titles have come in 22 different events, and if he wins the Dubai title it will be the first time he has won the same title twice.
Third seed Medvedev will face friends and 2022 Champion Andrei Rublev or world 25 Taron Grixpool in tomorrow’s final.
Today, Medvedev put on one of his most energetic performances of the year. Medvedev hit 66 percent of his serve, won 23 of 26 first-serve points, held serve five times, and faced no break points in the victory that lasted 1 hour and 22 minutes.
Medvedev showed his fourth ace on the T stage, locking the score at 5-4. This is the second time Medvedev has held on in this game.
In the next game, Medvedev hit back deep in the middle, handcuffing the Canadian and tying the score at 30. Although Auger-Aliassime hit a low forehand volley, he had no reaction as Medvedev delivered a wild, running lob that the 6-foot-4 Canadian couldn’t control the set point.
The two engaged in a heated 25-shot standoff at the baseline. Medvedev, who had more to show for the entire set than he did for the match, took a first-set lead with a final forehand break after an intense 44 minutes.
Medvedev opened the second set with a third love hold on serve – by then he had won 16 of his final 17 service points.
Early in the second set, Auger-Aliassime had white tape on the underside of his left knee and would bend over at times, looking exhausted and gasping for air.
In the fourth game, Auger-Aliassime ended a 27-shot comeback with a forehand volley, but then tied the game with a pull volley.
Auger-Aliassime’s heavy schedule in February – he started the month 11-1 to win Montpellier and reach the Rotterdam final – coupled with low-ball shots from Medvedev’s Tecnifibre racquet, took a toll on the Canadian’s body, and his backhand sometimes flew up.
The top seed hit a backhand into the net when facing a break point, and then tried to hit the Russian player behind with a forehand. Medvedev broke serve in the 66th minute, making the score 3-1.
Medvedev wasted no time between points, hitting a wicked T-server to seal the score at 4-1.
Accurate passing was an important factor in this victory. Medvedev made consecutive forehand passes and won a double match point. On the second match point, Medvedev hit a backhand winner from the baseline, his 11th winner in the semifinals.
