No fairy-tale ending for Andy Murray in Dubai, as Ugo Humbert advances to quarter-finals

No fairy-tale ending for Andy Murray in Dubai, as Ugo Humbert advances to quarter-finals
Andy Murray is out of the Dubai Tennis Championships after losing to Ugo Humbert. (ATP)
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Updated 28 February 2024
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No fairy-tale ending for Andy Murray in Dubai, as Ugo Humbert advances to quarter-finals

No fairy-tale ending for Andy Murray in Dubai, as Ugo Humbert advances to quarter-finals
  • The 2017 Dubai Tennis Championships winner receives standing ovation as he bows out with a 6-2, 6-4 defeat in what is likely to be his final appearance at event
  • No. 2 seed Andrey Rublev defeats qualifier Arthur Cazaux 6-4, 6-4, and Alexander Bublik enjoys a hard-fought 7-6 (10-8), 7-6 (7-2) victory over Tallon Griekspoor

DUBAI: Andy Murray’s hopes of fairy-tale ending to what seems likely to be his last appearance at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships were dashed by in-form Frenchman Ugo Humbert, who defeated the 36-year-old Scot 6-2, 6-4 on center court at Dubai Tennis Stadium on Wednesday night.

The three-time Grand Slam champion, winner of this tournament in 2017, cut a frustrated figure against the No. 5 seed, who is 11 years his junior.

Clearly desperate to give his enthusiastic and vocal Dubai fans something to cheer, Murray, who beat Fernando Verdasco in the final here seven years ago, could be seen continually talking to himself as he struggled with his own game and the energy of his opponent.

He won the opening game on serve but then Humbert, who needed three sets to see off veteran wildcard Gael Monfils in his opening match, broke serve twice in succession. He simply had too much for Murray to cope with and took the opening set 6-2.

The second set followed a similar path, with Murray holding serve in the opening game, only for Humbert to break twice in a row as he calmly wrapped up the set 6-4 to claim a spot in the quarter-finals.

Murray received a standing ovation as he left the court in Dubai for what is probably the final time, the fans acknowledging his service not only to the sport in general but to the evolution of this particular tournament.

After the game, the 2012 Olympic gold medalist admitted he is in the twilight of his illustrious career.

“Yeah, I mean, I’m likely not going to play past this summer,” he said. “I get asked about it after every single match that I play, every single tournament that I play.

“I’m not going to talk more about that between now and whenever the time comes for me to stop. But yeah, I don’t plan on playing much past this summer.”

Humbert, who has an ATP title to his name already this year, thanks to victory in Marseille this month, was a picture of relaxation as he celebrated his victory and looked forward to the quarter-finals.

“Consistency has been the key for me this year,” the 25-year-old said. “I’m really happy that I’m playing well. It’s really nice to play in a venue like this in front of a great crowd. I was really calm today and knew what I needed to do.”

In the bottom half of the draw, No. 2 seed and last year’s beaten finalist, Andrey Rublev, was the first player to book a quarter-final berth, dashing the hopes of French qualifier Arthur Cazaux.

Cazaux, who was making his debut in Dubai this week, produced some fine tennis to get through the qualifiers and then defeat Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti in the round of 32. But Rublev took control of their last-16 clash on center court from the opening game, breaking his opponent’s serve and holding firm to take the first set 6-4.

The second set went with serve until Rublev, a winner in Hong Kong in January, broke Cazaux in the seventh game and held his subsequent serves to seal a 6-4, 6-4 victory.

Alexander Bublik booked his place in the quarter-finals with a 7-6 (10-8), 7-6 (7-2) victory over Tallon Griekspoor of the Netherlands. Bublik, who survived a scare in his opening match when he came back from a set down against qualifier Tomas Machac, was once again pushed hard by Griekspoor, but dug deep to secure victory.


Alcaraz battles into Rotterdam final date with De Minaur

Alcaraz battles into Rotterdam final date with De Minaur
Updated 09 February 2025
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Alcaraz battles into Rotterdam final date with De Minaur

Alcaraz battles into Rotterdam final date with De Minaur
  • Superior court coverage and retrieving from the Spanish world No. 3 overcame stubborn resistance from the Pole for a 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-3 win
  • De Minaur brought to an end the extraordinary giant-killing run of Italian qualifier Mattia Bellucci with a straight-sets win

ROTTERDAM: Carlos Alcaraz scraped his way into the final of the Rotterdam Open on Saturday with a hard-fought and entertaining three-set win over Hubert Hurkacz.

Superior court coverage and retrieving from the Spanish world No. 3 overcame stubborn resistance from the Pole for a 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-3 win to set up a clash with Australia’s Alex de Minaur in Sunday’s final.

“It was a very tight first set. I think he had chances to make it 6-0 so I just tried to fight every ball, every point,” said Alcaraz.

“I just tried to stay in there, keep fighting all the time and it paid off,” he added.

Alcaraz got off to a slow start, broken to love in his very first service game and allowing Hurkacz to race into a 3-0 lead in the first set.

He faced another break point in his next service game but saved it with a glorious crosscourt forehand and managed to hold onto serve.

Alcaraz survived another three break points and then fought his way back into the match with a break of his own, seizing the game with a forehand smash after a lengthy rally.

The momentum shifted in the Spaniard’s favor and a double-fault from Hurkacz gave the top seed the opportunity to serve out the set.

Again Hurkacz had the opportunity to break, but Alcaraz held firm and sealed the set with a forehand drive volley winner.

After the topsy-turvy first set, the second proceeded more conventionally, on serve until the tie-break.

The tie-break was also nip and tuck, both players squandering chances to seize the advantage.

But a double-fault from Alcaraz at 5-4 up gave Hurkacz an opportunity, and the Pole needed no second invitation, taking the set as the Spaniard netted a simple backhand groundstroke.

The decisive set started the same way as the first, with an early break of serve — this time to Alcaraz who brought the crowd to its feet.

That eventually proved enough to break the Polish resistance, as Hurkacz failed to make inroads into the Alcaraz serve.

Serving for the set at 5-3, Alcaraz booked his place in his 22nd ATP tour final with a trademark forehand winner up the line.

“I want to be the first Spanish player to be able to win this tournament. I’m going to go for it. I’m really happy to be able to play a final in Rotterdam,” said the 21-year-old.

In Saturday’s first semifinal, De Minaur brought to an end the extraordinary giant-killing run of Italian qualifier Mattia Bellucci with a straight-sets win.

De Minaur was too consistent for the error-prone Bellucci, who was unable to repeat his earlier heroics against Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas, going down 6-1, 6-2.

“I’m very happy with the level today,” said De Minaur.

“He’s been playing with a lot of confidence this whole week, so I knew it was going to be a very tough battle,” added the third-seeded Australian.

Runner-up last year to world number one Jannik Sinner, De Minaur has enjoyed comfortable passage to the final, winning all his matches in straight sets.

“The Dutch crowd always treats me very well, and I love coming back here. So hopefully I can get a title this time,” he said.


Bencic stuns Rybakina to set up Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open final against Krueger

Bencic stuns Rybakina to set up Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open final against Krueger
Updated 08 February 2025
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Bencic stuns Rybakina to set up Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open final against Krueger

Bencic stuns Rybakina to set up Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open final against Krueger
  • Swiss star overturns one-set deficit to progress to a second final in the UAE capital

ABU DHABI: Belinda Bencic is through to another Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open final after coming from behind to eliminate reigning champion Elena Rybakina in a pulsating contest.

The Swiss player will now meet Ashlyn Krueger, who beat Linda Noskova in straight sets to reach Sunday’s showpiece.

Winner of the inaugural Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open in 2023, Bencic went into the semi-final against the current champion as the underdog. Rybakina, who came out on top in a three-set thriller against Ons Jabeur in the last eight, started the match in ominous fashion, quickly taking control and claiming the first set 6-3.

Bencic, having only returned to action at the tail end of last year after taking a maternity break, had grown in stature throughout the tournament and secured her passage to the semi-finals with a straight-sets win over Marketa Vondrousova.

The disappointment of falling behind, if anything, galvanized the 27-year-old, who responded brilliantly in the second set, racing into a 3-0 lead. Rybakina, in true champion style, hit back, but Bencic held on to force a decider.

Bencic looked the more dangerous of the two players and, after breaking Rybakina for a third time, found herself serving for the match.

Rybakina saved two match points before breaking her opponent’s serve to close the deficit to a single game, with the score 5-4 in favor of Bencic, who was left serving for the match once more.

This time around, she was not to be denied, seeing out the match to win 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 and book her place in the final for the second time.

Krueger’s impressive form in the tournament continued after standout wins against Daria Kasatkina and Leylah Fernandez, as she edged an entertaining clash with Noskova to reach the final.

It was a clash of the rising stars with the two players, both 20, having impressed on their way to the last four, with Noskova beating Paula Badosa and Magda Linette in straight sets.

It was the first meeting between the two players and Noskova, who won her maiden title at the Monterrey Open last August, appeared to be on course to take the first set as she led 4-2.

Krueger, however, had other ideas and fought back strongly as both women attempted to seize the initiative. It was no surprise to see the set eventually settled via a tie-break, which Krueger claimed 7-2 to take the lead.

After that Krueger grew in confidence and broke Noskova twice to take control of the second.

Despite failing to take advantage of a match point, with Noskova breaking her opponent and winning the next game on serve to bring it back to 5-4, Krueger, serving for the match, successfully sealed a 7-6, 6-4 victory and secure her first appearance in a WTA 500 final.

Jelena Ostapenko/Ellen Perez are through to the final of the doubles event after an impressive 6-3, 6-2 victory against Marketa Vondrousova/Liudmila Samsonova in the day’s opening match on Stadium Court.

They will meet Kristina Mladenovic/Shuai Zhang in tomorrow’s final after the duo defeated Olivia Nicholls/Olivia Gadecki 6-1, 6-4 in the second semi-final.

The doubles final, scheduled for 2:30 p.m., gets tomorrow’s action underway as the two pairings aim to claim the title which was won last year by Americans Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Sofia Kenin.

That match will be followed by the Krueger-Bencic singles final.


Alcaraz races into Rotterdam semifinals, Tsitsipas falls

Alcaraz races into Rotterdam semifinals, Tsitsipas falls
Updated 08 February 2025
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Alcaraz races into Rotterdam semifinals, Tsitsipas falls

Alcaraz races into Rotterdam semifinals, Tsitsipas falls
  • It was the first time the two Spanish players had met on the professional tour and Alcaraz showed the gulf in class between himself and Martinez, ranked 41 places below him
  • World No.12 Tsitsipas never got to grips with Bellucci’s left-handed serve and combination of flat backhands and heavy top-spin forehands

THE HAGUE: Spanish tennis superstar Carlos Alcaraz hurtled into the Rotterdam Open semifinals on Friday with a comfortable 6-2, 6-1 win over compatriot Pedro Martinez.

The world No. 1, bidding to become the first Spaniard to triumph in Rotterdam, will next face Hubert Hurkacz of Poland for a spot in Sunday’s final.

Eighth-seeded Hurkacz defeated Andrey Rublev, the Russian fourth seed, 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 6-4.

“I’m really happy with my performance today. I think I played at a really high level. No ups and downs in the match, which is something I’m really focused on,” Alcaraz said.

“It is always tough playing Pedro, so I knew I had to be really focused from the first ball to the last,” he added.

It was the first time the two Spanish players had met on the professional tour and Alcaraz showed the gulf in class between himself and Martinez, ranked 41 places below him.

He wasted no time in stamping his authority on the match, breaking the Martinez serve in the first game.

A second break followed quickly. Alcaraz wrapped up the first set with an ace.

The pattern repeated itself at the start of the second set. Martinez was the architect of his own downfall, losing his first service game with a double fault and a wild forehand.

Another unforced error from Martinez handed Alcaraz his second break of the set in the fifth game, which also featured the best rally of the match, both players covering all corners of the court.

Alcaraz wrapped up the match with yet another break, finishing off his opponent with a whipped crosscourt forehand, his 29th winner, in just over an hour.

“With every match I play, I’m improving. Hopefully, I can end up the week with the trophy,” said Alcaraz.

Earlier Friday, Stefanos Tsitsipas became the latest victim of an extraordinary run by Mattia Bellucci, as the Italian qualifier marched into the semifinals with a 6-4, 6-2 upset.

World No.12 Tsitsipas never got to grips with Bellucci’s left-handed serve and combination of flat backhands and heavy top-spin forehands, interspersed with well-disguised drop shots.

“At the beginning of the week, I would have never expected this result,” said Bellucci, 23, who had never before reached the semifinal of an ATP 500 event.

“I was really enjoying myself on court. Today I think I played even better, technically speaking, against a great opponent but I was in a mindset to fight for every point,” said the Italian.

Bellucci, ranked 92 in the world, had already demonstrated his giant-killing prowess by downing second seed Daniil Medvedev in the previous round.

Awaiting Bellucci in the semifinal is Australia’s Alex de Minaur, last year’s runner-up, who wasted no time in swatting aside German lucky loser Daniel Altmaier 6-1, 6-4.
 


Rybakina edges Jabeur in dramatic 3 sets at Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open

Rybakina edges Jabeur in dramatic 3 sets at Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open
Updated 07 February 2025
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Rybakina edges Jabeur in dramatic 3 sets at Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open

Rybakina edges Jabeur in dramatic 3 sets at Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open
  • Reigning champion Elena Rybakina progresses to the semifinals after winning third-set tie-break against the Tunisian crowd favorite

ABU DHABI: Ons Jabeur exited the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open at the quarterfinal stage for the second consecutive year after losing a thrilling encounter against reigning champion Elena Rybakina on Thursday.

The defending champion now joins Belinda Bencic, Ashlyn Krueger and Linda Noskova in Friday’s semifinals.

The sixth meeting between Jabeur and Rybakina more than lived up to the pre-match hype. On Stadium Court they played an absolute classic that was ultimately settled by a tie-break.

Having had to come from behind to defeat Katie Volynets in the last 16, Rybakina enjoyed a far better start this time, dominating Jabeur in the first set, before the Tunisian claimed the second to set up a decisive third.

Rybakina seemed destined for victory when, leading 3-2, she broke her opponent’s serve, but Jabeur displayed nerves of steel to break back immediately and win her subsequent service game to level it 4-4.

The next four games, although back and forth, went with serve, forcing a decisive tie-break which Rybakina eventually clinched, for a 6-2, 4-6, 7-6,  victory. It brought an end to Jabeur’s involvement, much to the disappointment of her fans inside Stadium Court.

In the day’s opening quarterfinal, 2023 champion Bencic faced Marketa Vondrousova, who had already seen off Emma Raducanu and Yulia Putintseva. This was a repeat of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics final, where Bencic claimed gold.

Bencic secured her spot in the last eight courtesy of a dominant win over Veronika Kudermetova, in which she did not drop a single game, and while she eventually prevailed, Thursday’s encounter was a far sterner test.

The fact the match featured 11 breaks of serve is perhaps indicative of the disrupted rhythm of the players. But having edged in front at the start of the contest, Bencic did just enough to hold on and claim the first set 7-5.

Having returned from maternity leave last October, Bencic is slowly getting back to her best, as showcased by her performances to date in Abu Dhabi. A controlled, assured display in the second set secured a 7-5, 6-3 victory, ensuring the 27-year-old is through to the semifinals.

After producing a superb comeback to eliminate last year’s beaten finalist Daria Kasatkina in the round of 16, Krueger came out on top in a three-set thriller against 2021 US Open runner-up Leylah Fernandez to secure a first WTA 500 semifinal spot.

It was a fully deserved victory for the American, 20, who fired eight aces, including five in the opening set, which she edged 7-5.

Fernandez responded well and, despite not being at her best, highlighted by seven double faults, still produced some brilliant tennis, more than playing her part in a highly entertaining contest.

She took the second set, forcing a third, from which point on it was all about Krueger, who displayed fantastic power and technique to pull away from her opponent, eventually progressing 7-5, 4-6, 6-2.

Krueger now faces Noskova, also 20, in a battle of the rising talents. Noskova followed up yesterday’s outstanding win over Paula Badosa with another straight-sets victory, this time against Magda Linette 6-4, 6-3.


Alcaraz cruises, Tsitsipas scrapes through in Rotterdam

Alcaraz cruises, Tsitsipas scrapes through in Rotterdam
Updated 07 February 2025
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Alcaraz cruises, Tsitsipas scrapes through in Rotterdam

Alcaraz cruises, Tsitsipas scrapes through in Rotterdam
  • The top-seeded Alcaraz had far too much firepower and accuracy for Vavassori, ranked 317 in the world, running out a 6-2, 6-1 winner in just over an hour
  • Earlier Thursday, Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas saved a match point and battled from a set down to overcome local hope Tallon Griekspoor in a three-hour marathon

ROTTERDAM, Netherlands: Carlos Alcaraz eased into the quarter-finals of the Rotterdam Open on Thursday with a comfortable straight-sets win over Italian qualifier Andrea Vavassori.
The top-seeded Alcaraz had far too much firepower and accuracy for Vavassori, ranked 317 in the world, running out a 6-2, 6-1 winner in just over an hour.
“Today, I think I hit everything pretty well. I’m just hopeful I can keep going and be a bit better next round,” said the Spaniard after the match.
Wearing a breathing aid on his nose as he recovers from illness, Alcaraz got off to a flying start, breaking in the very first game and sealing the set 6-2 as the Italian pushed a forehand wide.
The Spaniard again broke early in the second set, taking the third game with a sumptuous lob. A second break followed quickly afterwards as the Italian double-faulted.
Alcaraz wrapped up the match with another break of serve, sending a powerful forehand return to the feet of the Italian, who could only poke it wide.
“I had no ups and downs today which is good for me, something I’m working on,” said Alcaraz.
Thursday’s victory was a stark contrast to his first-round match, when he required nearly three hours to dispatch local hero Botic van de Zandschulp.
“The first match of every tournament it’s never easy to get used to the conditions, so I’m just trying to make the most of the time I spent here in the first round,” he said.
Alcaraz will face Pedro Martinez for a place in the semifinals after his compatriot stunned Danish fifth seed Holger Rune 6-4, 6-1.
Earlier Thursday, Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas saved a match point and battled from a set down to overcome local hope Tallon Griekspoor in a three-hour marathon.
The world number 12 eventually overcame spirited resistance from the Dutchman with a 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (8/6), 7-5 victory in a match lasting around three hours.
“I feel like I was here for 10 hours today. I felt like me and Tallon played for ages and I feel like it was a marathon. We started yesterday and finished today,” he joked.
“I always felt that he brought the best out of me. We were both fighting pretty well out on the court. These are matches that are going to be remembered.”
Tsitsipas now faces a quarter-final clash with Italian qualifier Mattia Bellucci, who shocked second seed Daniil Medvedev in a marathon three-setter on Wednesday.
Also through to the quarter-finals in the bottom half of the draw is last year’s runner-up Alex de Minaur, who defeated Czech teenager Jakub Mensik 6-4, 6-4.