Daniil Medvedev to face fellow Russian Andrey Rublev in the final after defeating world No 1 Novak Djokovic in straight sets; Djokovic's loss is his first of 2023, while Rublev defeated Alexander Zverev in the other semi-final
Saturday 4 March 2023 08:41, UK
World No 1 Novak Djokovic has seen his unbeaten start to 2023 ended by a semi-final loss to Daniil Medvedev at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.
Djokovic opened the year by winning the Adelaide International event ahead of the Australian Open, where he defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas to claim a record 22nd Grand Slam title, with the Serbian holding a 15-0 record in 2023 ahead of his showdown with Medvedev.
In a contest where the players put their early-season win streaks on the line, Medvedev - who had won his previous 12 matches - drew first blood by breaking an error-prone Djokovic twice and closed out the first set with a searing forehand.
Djokovic, playing his first tournament since his Melbourne victory, looked the better player after falling 2-5 down in the opening set but he dropped his serve again early in the second after hitting a return long.
Medvedev then served out a 6-4 6-4 win in one hour and 55 minutes, with his straight-sets success his 13th consecutive victory and his fifth win over Djokovic from 14 meetings.
Earlier this year, Djokovic returned to Melbourne for the Australian Open but he could miss Indian Wells and the Miami Open again because of his Covid-19 vaccination status.
The United States Tennis Association (USTA) and the US Open, though, are hopeful he will feature, after the world No 1 applied for special permission to enter the US.
Djokovic, one of the most high-profile athletes unvaccinated against the Covid, said last week he was hoping for a positive outcome shortly after applying to enter the US to compete in ATP Masters 1000 events in Indian Wells and Miami this month.
"Novak Djokovic is one the greatest champions our sport has ever seen," the US Open Twitter account said on Friday.
"The USTA and US Open are hopeful that Novak is successful in his petition to enter the country, and that the fans will be able to see him back in action at Indian Wells and Miami," it added.
Vaccine requirements for foreign air passengers are not expected to be lifted by the US until after the main draw for the Indian Wells begins on March 9 and the Miami Open later this month, meaning Djokovic could miss out for a second year.
Joe Biden's administration said in January it would lift emergency declarations on May 11, but Djokovic - named on the Indian Wells entry list - said he had submitted the required documentation for special permission.
Indian Wells tournament director Tommy Haas said in January it would be a "disgrace" if Djokovic was not allowed to compete this year after the Serbian also missed last year's U.S. Open.
Medvedev will now face defending champion Andrey Rublev, who advanced to the final earlier in the day after beating Alexander Zverev in straight sets.
Rublev, who saved five match points earlier this week against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, had not won a set in his five previous meetings against Zverev.
A clean-hitting performance in Dubai saw Rublev flip the script, saving one set point in the second set to triumph 6-3 7-6 (11-9) on the sixth match point and after one hour and 58 minutes.
"Today when I was going on court I was thinking I have nothing to lose," Rublev said. "He always beats me!"
Rublev, who defeated Jiri Vesely in last year's final, is looking to join Roger Federer and Djokovic as the only players to successfully defend the Dubai title.
