Medvedev squanders 4 match points, crashes out in Dubai

Former world number one Daniil Medvedev crashed out of the Dubai Championships on Thursday, squandering four match points before losing a bad-tempered quarter-final to Tallon Griekspoor of the Netherlands.

The 47th-ranked Dutchman came through 2-6, 7-6 (9/7), 7-5 as the world number six imploded.

Medvedev, the 2023 champion in Dubai, was handed a code violation for unsportsmanlike behaviour after seeing match points slip away in the second set.

As his frustration boiled over, he accused umpire Adel Nour of applying “double standards” with Russian players.

Nour hit back, telling Medvedev that he treats all players in the same way, regardless of nationality before brushing away the top seed’s complaints.

Griekspoor kept his cool in the deciding set, taking victory on a fourth match point of his own.

Medvedev refused to shake hands with Nour at the end of the tie.

The 28-year-old Griekspoor, saved three match points to see off Roman Safiullin in the first round and then overcame defending champion Ugo Humbert.

“I’m super happy with this win,” said Griekspoor.

“Daniil is an unbelievable player, an unbelievable competitor. He’s been at the top of the rankings for so many years, so I’m very pleased with this win.

“I was a little bit lucky on the match points down, and in the second-set tie-break. I even needed a few match points myself to finish this one off.”

Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime notched up a Tour-leading 15th win of the year, seeing off former US Open champion Marin Cilic 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 to reach his fourth semi-final of 2025.

“It’s been a great start,” said 21st-ranked Auger-Aliassime who has already claimed titles at Adelaide and Montpellier this year.

Auger-Aliassime will face French qualifier Quentin Halys who came back from a set and break down to defeat Italian lucky loser Luca Nardi 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7/5).

Halys knocked out ninth-ranked former champion Andrey Rublev in the first round.

Sinner dropped from Laureus awards: The Laureus Academy revoked tennis number one Jannik Sinner’s nomination for its annual World Sportsman of the Year Award on Thursday, citing his three-month doping ban.

Sinner, who accepted the ban earlier this month, had tested positive for anabolic agent clostebol which the 23-year-old said had entered his system from a member of his support team through massages and sports therapy. The ban will end on May 4.

“We have followed this case, the decisions of the relevant global bodies and - whilst we note the extenuating circumstances involved - feel that the three-month ban renders the nomination ineligible,” Laureus Academy Chairman Sean Fitzpatrick said in a letter addressed to nomination panel members.

“Jannik and his team have been informed.”

The Laureus World Sports Awards have been presented since 2000, with nominees selected by the global media, recognising individual and team achievement in sport. The nominees for this year’s awards will be announced on March 3 in Madrid.

Sinner, who retained his Australian Open title last month, failed two drug tests in March 2024 but was allowed to keep competing while he appealed his case.

The positive tests came to light days before the US Open, when an independent tribunal cleared him of wrongdoing, plunging the year’s final major into controversy.

A number of players and fans criticised officials for allowing Sinner to play on despite the positive tests and believed that the Italian had been given preferential treatment because of his top ranking status.

In September, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) appealed to sports highest court (CAS) against an independent tribunal’s ruling, which had cleared Sinner of any wrongdoing because it found he bore “no fault or negligence” for the failed tests.

WADA had said that finding was incorrect under the applicable rules, and that Sinner should serve a ban “of between one and two years”.

However, two weeks ago Sinner accepted an immediate three-month doping ban after WADA said it had reached a settlement on his period of ineligibility. WADA also withdrew its appeal to CAS following the settlement.

Agencies