Tallon Griekspoor Battles Past Rublev to Reach Dubai Final

Griekspoor stuns Rublev in Dubai semifinal thriller

Tallon Griekspoor overcomes hamstring injury to beat Andrey Rublev in thrilling Dubai semifinal, sets up final vs Daniil Medvedev.

Rublev dominated on his first serve in the second set, landing 24 of them with a blazing...

Tallon Griekspoor showed incredible determination to overcome a mid-match hamstring injury and beat Andrey Rublev 7-5, 7-6(6) in the Dubai semifinals, securing his spot in the final against Daniil Medvedev. Rublev, ranked world no. 18, had made it to the semifinals with wins over French players Valentin Royer, Ugo Humbert, and Arthur Rinderknech.

Griekspoor's impressive run continues, having beaten second seed Alexander Bublik and sixth seed Jakub Mensik earlier in the tournament. His next challenge is Daniil Medvedev, who swept past top seed Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-4, 6-2.

Tallon's fairytale week continues 🤩@Griekii claims his third consecutive top 20 win, defeating Rublev 7-5 7-6 to reach the final in Dubai#DDFTennis pic.twitter.com/5GmwyM3mr0

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) February 27, 2026

Tallon Griekspoor is back in form, bouncing back from a tough end to 2025. The Dutchman reached the Rotterdam quarterfinals two weeks ago and has kept the momentum going, taking down Alexander Bublik and Jakub Mensik in the lead-up to Friday's semifinal.

Griekspoor and Andrey Rublev were evenly matched on serve initially, with neither player giving away a break point. That was until Rublev applied pressure in the ninth game, but Griekspoor responded with a stunning comeback. He hit four aces to turn a 30-0 deficit into a game win, showcasing his strong serve.

Andrey Rublev pushed hard, forcing the first break point of the match in the 11th game. Griekspoor fought it off, but his relief was short-lived as he double-faulted, giving Rublev the break. Meanwhile, Griekspoor was dealing with some discomfort, signalling to his physio.

Despite the hamstring issues, Griekspoor battled on, unleashing two more aces (his 10th and 11th) to take the game and edge closer to victory.

Griekspoor fought hard after the medical timeout, forcing and converting his first break point to take the first set 7-5. The Dutchman showed grit and determination despite his hamstring issue.

He received more treatment during the break, but was put under immediate pressure as Rublev pushed for a break early in the second set. Griekspoor dug deep, coming back from 40-0 with some big serves, including a few aces.

Rublev dominated on his first serve in the second set, landing 24 of them with a blazing 100% success rate and 80% first-serve rate, trying to exploit Griekspoor's hamstring issues. Despite the pressure, Griekspoor held firm, sending the set to a tiebreak.

Winning the set despite an injury 👀@Griekii struggles with injury but takes the opener 7-5 vs Rublev#DDFTennis pic.twitter.com/ZwHjAAeM7g

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) February 27, 2026

Andrey Rublev initially gained the upper hand with a quick mini-break, but Tallon Griekspoor turned the tide with a huge return. Despite Rublev's chances, Griekspoor's determination and skill shone through, securing the win.

Griekspoor advances to his first ATP Tour final since Mallorca 2025, and he'll face Daniil Medvedev in the final. Medvedev booked his spot with a straight-sets win over Felix Auger-Aliassime.