Daniil Medvedev expressed frustration with chair umpire Adel Nour, accusing him of “double standards against Russians” during his quarter-final match against Tallon Griekspoor at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. Following a tense encounter where Medvedev squandered four match points, Griekspoor triumphed with a score of 2-6, 7-6 (7), 7-5, securing his place in the semi-finals. The altercation escalated after Medvedev received a code violation for unsportsmanlike conduct shortly after losing the second set.
In a heated exchange, Medvedev questioned the warning he received, to which the umpire indicated the Russian was aware of his comments. Medvedev retorted, suggesting that the umpire was overly sensitive and implying unfair treatment directed at him as a Russian player. The situation culminated in Medvedev breaking his racquet in frustration after losing the final set and choosing not to shake the umpire’s hand when leaving the court.
After the match, Medvedev reflected on the incident, stating that he had spoken with Nour post-match to calm the situation. He admitted he might have crossed a line but maintained that his comments weren’t overly harsh. Medvedev acknowledged that the umpire had treated him with respect.
On the other hand, Griekspoor celebrated a significant milestone in his career with the victory over the sixth-seeded Medvedev, deeming it his best win in terms of rankings. He remarked on the unexpected nature of still being in the tournament after his earlier matches, where he had to save match points against Roman Safiullin and eliminated last year’s champion, Ugo Humbert.
Griekspoor’s win sets him up for a semi-final against fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas, who defeated Matteo Berrettini in another quarter-final match. Meanwhile, Felix Auger-Aliassime advanced by overcoming 2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic and will face qualifier Quentin Halys, who also progressed after a challenging match against Luca Nardi.