The Russian Andrey Rublev became the first finalist of the Dubai Tournament by defeating the Pole Hubert Hurkacz 3-6, 7-5 and 7-6 (7-5) in the semifinals, after which he signed on a television camera the message “No war please”.
Seeded number two in Dubai, Rublev consummated his victory in two hours and 25 minutes after falling in the first heatalways dominated by her rival, and overcome in the second set to score it, after breaking Hukacz’s service twice.
The third set was the most even and, although he was always ahead, the Russian could not break away until the ‘tie break’, after 1 hour and 10 minutes of play with which He added his eighth victory in a row and got into the final, just as he did in Marseille, where he won the first title of the season and the tenth of his career.
By his father, the Czech Jiri Vesely extended his great moment of play and once again overcame another top-20 to sneak into his first ATP 500 final, that of Dubai, by getting rid of a combative Denis Shapovalov that took him to the limit in a battle that required three tie breaks and lasted for three hours and sixteen minutes.
After leaving Marin Cilic, Roberto Bautista and Novak Djokovic in the ditch, who with his victory prevented him from maintaining world number one, the tennis player who ranks 123rd in the ATP ranking needed to give his best again to beat the Canadian, fourteenth racket on the circuit, 6-7 (7), 7-6 (2) and 7-6 (3) .
Equality was the predominant note throughout the afternoon. Both players broke serve once in the first set, held serve in the second, and each broke again in the final set. so all three acts had to be resolved in sudden death.
Launched by the good streak that preceded him after his previous performances, the Czech was better in the decisive moments and did not collapse when, in the final round, he wasted a 0-40 in favor that would have put him 5-3. He knew how to recompose himself and endure until a third tie break that he dominated and ended up leading 7-3.
Dubai ATP 500 results.