No2 seed De Minaur emerges second-best in battle for survival against 36-year-old Cilic, while No3 seed Rublev also crashes out in first round at hands of French qualifier Quentin Halys
Top seed Medvedev eases through to second round, setting up mouthwatering match with fellow heavyweight hitter Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard at Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium
Dubai, UAE – February 25, 2025: Watched on by iconic adventurer Bear Grylls, the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships produced a wild Tuesday afternoon with two of the tournament’s top seeds failing to survive the first-round. Australia’s Alex De Minaur, the No2 seed at this week’s ATP 500 event, was second-best in his survival of the fittest against 36-year-old Marin Cilic, while Andrey Rublev, the No3 seed and 2022 Dubai champion, was tamed by French qualifier Quentin Halys.
While the emirate’s weather conditions would barely have registered with an extreme survivalist such as Grylls, the wind did appear to upset De Minaur’s rhythm as he struggled against the towering Cilic, striking 32 unforced errors and managing only nine winners. Cilic in contrast had wasted little time wrapping up the first set 6-2 and, despite a resilient fightback in the second from the World No8, when the veteran Cilic saved a breakpoint in the first game of the third set and broke serve for 4-2, there was only ever likely to be one winner.
“It was a great start for me,” said the 2014 US Open champion, who hit 27 winners during the 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 victory that lasted two hours and 18 minutes. “Winning the first three games, getting a feel for the court, the conditions… It was a little bit gusty, but I was feeling the ball extremely well. I know how dangerous Alex is… He is an incredible runner on the court and gets some balls that nobody gets. I had to stay patient, but aggressive. I’m just so pleased that I was able to keep that great level throughout the whole match.”
Hampered by injuries last year, Cilic was making only his second appearance of the season after losing in the first round to World No3 Carlos Alcaraz in Doha. The Croatian reached back-to-back quarterfinals in Dubai in 2009 and 2010 – when De Minaur was just 10 years old – and on Tuesday, in claiming a first victory over a Top 10 player since the 2022 French Open, he took it as a sign that this season could yet prove fruitful.
“I haven’t had that many chances to settle in this season. Last week, I played Carlos in Doha, Alex here – they’re both Top 10 guys and playing extremely well,” said Cilic, who will face another Australian, Alexei Popyrin, in Wednesday’s second round. “It’s a great effort from me; a sign that I’m playing well. Hopefully I can keep the form going.”
Form can deceive though. Rublev took to Centre Court at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium just 48 hours after lifting his first title of the season in Doha. Any suggestions his exertions in Qatar might render him lacking in Dubai, however, initially appeared ill-conceived as he won the first set with his usual energetic game, drawing excited cheers from an adoring throng of vocal supporters. Yet, Halys did not lie down and broke the World No9 twice in the second set, including in the final game to level the tie.
Rublev looked sure to progress when he found himself returning serve at 40-0 up in game 11 of the deciding set, but 28-year-old Halys – ranked 77th in the world – again refused to surrender and rescued five breakpoints before edging a tightly fought tiebreak to secure the win 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(5). Having come through qualifying, Halys will next face another former champion, Spain's Roberto Bautista Agut who won here in 2018.
“I’m so happy, even though I’m not so smiley now,” said Halys after his first ATP 500 win. “The match was so tough...what a victory. I played really well. At the beginning I was a bit nervous, but at the end I was pretty calm. The key was to serve well, be aggressive, and make amazing shots. Every time you play a 500, you’re playing an amazing guy and I lost many times, but today is the best victory of my career. I enjoy playing here, the conditions suit my game.”
With two top seeds having fallen in the afternoon, all eyes turned to No1 seed Daniil Medvedev who had retired in the Doha quarterfinals, later revealing he was suffering from food poisoning. Yet under the evening lights, the World No6 showed his typical composure to dispatch Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff in straight sets 6-4, 7-6(4) and avoid any further upsets on a day that also saw No8 seed Arthur Fils exit at the hands of Portugal’s Nuno Borges.
Medvedev said he feels fully recovered, but conceded even just a couple days away from the court can impact preparations. “In terms of tennis, you need a little bit to get back into the rhythm after a couple hectic days without practice. I could practice fully only yesterday and it was a really rough day, hot and humid. So I just need to get back into the rhythm and am happy I won and looking forward to my next match.”
The 2021 US Open winner will face Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard next, after the young Frenchman showcased his formidable power during a first-round victory on Monday night that included a 235kph second serve. Medvedev, whose own serve is known to exceed 238kph, says he is looking forward to the challenge having never played him before.
“For sure, it’s not easy,” Medvedev said when asked about how to tackle such a powerful serve. “For sure, I played some guys like him before. They're all different and have their own style – some like to play more from baseline; some go to the net more. I practised with Giovanni once three or four years ago, but he was not the player he is right now, so it will be interesting. For sure the most important thing is not to get broken because that’s the tricky part. Then I’ll try to break him – let's see how it goes.”
The 33rd staging of the ATP Tour 500 tournament at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships takes place from February 24 to March 1, is owned and organised by Dubai Duty Free, and held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
Tickets are available online at Ticketmaster and dubaidutyfreetennischampionships.com and directly from the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium Box Office from 9am-9pm daily.
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