Good friends and fellow Russians Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev remain on a collision course for the final in Dubai. Standing in their way on semifinal Friday, however, are Felix Auger-Aliassime and Tallon Griekspoor.
(1) Felix Auger-Aliassime vs. (3) Daniil Medvedev
Auger-Aliassime and Medvedev will be squaring off for the 10th time in their careers when they collide in the semifinals of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Friday. Medvedev leads the head-to-head series 7-2, but that does not really tell the current story. Since losing their first seven encounters, Auger-Aliassime has won two straight — 6-3, 7-6(5) at the 2024 Paris Olympics and via retirement in the 2025 Doha quarterfinals after taking the first set 6-3.
The eighth-ranked Canadian is absolutely rolling in 2026. He is 12-3 with a title in Montpellier, a runner-up showing in Rotterdam, and straight-set victories in Dubai over Zhizhen Zhang, Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, and Jiri Lehecka. Although Medvedev is also 12-3 this season, he still has some questions to answer following a rough 2025 campaign. The 11th-ranked Russian has not defeated anyone ranked better than 47th since last month’s Brisbane title and he has not defeated anyone in the top 30 since getting the best of Alex de Minaur in the Shanghai quarterfinals last fall. Look for Auger-Aliassime to extend his winning streak in this matchup to three.
Pick: Auger-Aliassime in 3
(5) Andrey Rublev vs. Tallon Griekspoor
A return trip to Dubai appears to be just what the doctor ordered for Griekspoor. The 25th-ranked Dutchman was a horrendous 3-6 in 2026 prior to this week, but he is turning things around with wins over Otto Virtanen, Alexander Bublik, and Jakub Mensik. Success in Dubai is nothing new for Griekspoor, who also reached the semis last year after taking out Medvedev and Ugo Humbert.
Up next for the 29-year-old on Friday is a fourth showdown against Rublev, who is sweeping the head-to-head series 3-0. The current world No. 18 prevailed in a third-set tiebreaker at the 2023 Doha event, in three sets on the grass of Halle that summer, and 6-2, 6-4 on the red clay of Madrid in 2024. Rublev has won on every surface, and there is no reason to think he won’t do the same on Friday based on how well he is playing. The Russian has dismissed Humbert, Valentin Royer, and Arthur Rinderknech, improving to 6-1 in his last seven matches with only a competitive loss to eventual Doha champion Carlos Alcaraz during this stretch.
Pick: Rublev in 3