Top Seeds Storm Into Dubai Tennis Round of 16

Several top seeds secured their places in the Round of 16 at the 34th edition of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships (ATP 500) after the conclusion of the Round of 32 matches at Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium in Al Garhoud.

Fifth seed Andrey Rublev, the 2022 champion, defeated France’s Valentin Royer in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4, in one hour and 29 minutes. Rublev delivered a steady performance throughout the match to move comfortably into the next round. He will now face France’s Ugo Humbert, the 2024 champion, who knocked out Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas with a 6-4, 7-5 victory in one hour and 26 minutes.

Seventh seed Karen Khachanov battled past Kazakhstan’s Alexander Shevchenko, who entered the main draw through qualifying. Khachanov lost the first set in a tie-break 6-7 (5-7) but bounced back strongly to win 6-2, 6-3 in a match that lasted two hours and 12 minutes. His strong second and third sets proved decisive.

Third seed Daniil Medvedev, the 2023 champion, made a strong start to his campaign with a commanding 6-1, 6-3 win over China’s Shang Juncheng. Medvedev will next face Switzerland’s Stan Wawrinka in a high-profile clash between two former Dubai champions.

In another key match, second seed Alexander Bublik defeated Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff 6-3, 6-4. Bublik fired 12 aces and saved three break points to secure a straight-sets victory.

The results highlight the strong competition at this year’s tournament, which features eight players ranked among the world’s top 20 along with several former champions. The battle for the title in Dubai continues to intensify as the tournament moves into the Round of 16.