Top seeds cruise into second round in Dubai

Tuesday, 24 February 2026 17:24

By ARN News Staff

Second seed Alexander Bublik and third seed Daniil Medvedev cruised into the second round of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships with straight-sets victories.

Russia’s Medvedev eased past China’s Shang Juncheng 6–1, 6–3 and will next face Swiss veteran Stan Wawrinka for a place in the quarter-finals.

Meanwhile, Russian-born Kazakhstani Bublik defeated Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff 6–3, 6–4.

Spain’s Pablo Carreno Busta advanced to the last 16 with a 6–2, 6–4 win over Canada’s Denis Shapovalov, while American Jenson Brooksby beat Belgium’s Zizou Bergs 6–3, 6–4.

2022 champion and fifth seed Russia’s Andrey Rublev also moved to the Round of 16 after defeating France’s Valentin Royer in straight sets of 6-3, 6-4.

Rublev will next face France’s Ugo Humbert, the 2024 champion, who previously eliminated Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas, the 2025 titleholder.

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