Dubai Quarterfinal Preview: Tsitsipas vs. Griekspoor, Auger-Aliassime vs. Halys
Tsitsipas vs. Griekspoor – A Clash of Resilience and Revenge
Dubai Tennis Quarterfinals:
Stefanos Tsitsipas, the last seed remaining in Dubai, will face Talon Griekspoor in the semi-finals on Friday. The winner of that match will face Félix Auger-Aliassime or Quentin Halys in the final.
Talon Griekspoor vs. (4) Stefanos Tsitsipas
Tsitsipas and Griekspoor will face each other for the third time in their careers and second time this month when
they meet in the semi-finals of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Friday. Both of their previous meetings have gone in Tsitsipas’ favor; 6-2, 7-6(5), 6-3 at the 2023 Australian Open and 6-7(5), 7-6(6), 7-5 in Rotterdam a few weeks ago. Griekspoor had a match point in the second set during their encounter in Rotterdam.
However, Griekspoor was looking to bounce back from the brink of defeat on Thursday. The 47th-ranked Dutchman saved four match points in the second set against Daniil Medvedev and then won 2-6, 7-6(7), 7-5. Griekspoor also saved three match points in a 5-7, 7-6(4), 7-6(1) first-round win over Roman Safiulin and needed three sets in the second round against defending champion Ugo Humbert. Of course, fatigue could also be a factor for Tsitsipas. The 11th-ranked Greek player has defeated Karen Khachanov and Matteo Berrettini in three consecutive sets. There is no reason Griekspoor can’t avenge their defeat in Rotterdam.
Pick: Griekspoor Inn 3
(Question) Quentin Hallis vs. Felix Auger-Aliassime
Auger-Aliassime is the tour leader in match wins this season, with a record of 15–4. This includes titles in Adelaide and Montpellier, and he is two wins away from winning a third trophy in just two months in the 2025 campaign. The 21st-ranked Canadian has maintained his fine form in Dubai, but it hasn’t been easy – with three-set wins over Alexander Bublik, Nuno Borges and Marin Cilic.
Next up for Auger-Aliassime is his third meeting with Halys and his second in two weeks. They just faced each other in Doha, where Auger-Aliassime won in a thrilling 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(2) match to take a 2-0 lead in the head-to-head series. Speaking of third-set ‘breakers’, Halys already needed two of them in the Dubai main draw – against Andrey Rublev and Luca Nardi, amid a second-round defeat to Roberto Bautista Agut. The 77th-ranked Frenchman has already played five matches in Dubai (two in qualifying), many of which were extremely difficult. Combine Halys ‘ physical and mental fatigue with a red-hot opponent and this should be more of a routine for Auger-Aliassime than the Doha.
