DUBAI: Daniil Medvedev is a familiar figure chasing an unfamiliar milestone at this week’s Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. The former World No. 1 is making his sixth appearance in the emirate, has 22 titles to his name, and a career built on consistency at the highest level. Yet he has never won an individual tournament twice.
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That anomaly edged closer to ending on Thursday as the 30-year-old, attempting to repeat his 2023 title win, progressed to the semi-finals with remarkable ease. The No3 seed needed just 57 minutes to see off American Jenson Brooksby in straight sets 6-2, 6-1 in what will go down as one of the tournament’s most one-sided quarterfinals in recent memory.
Brooksby, ranked World No. 49, looked static at times as the former US Open champion overpowered him with raking forehands from the baseline and booming backhands that appeared laser-like in precision. It was only the second time the two have met, yet the first since Miami nearly four years ago when Medvedev also progressed in straight sets.
In Dubai, under a blazing afternoon sun on Centre Court, a pair of breaks saw the Russian close out the first set inside half-an-hour and after breaking again immediately in the second, he swept to victory without facing a single break point.
