ATP Dubai draw: On course for another Rublev v Medvedev final

Three former champions feature in the draw as the ATP Tour heads to Dubai next week.

Defending champion Daniil Medvedev, 2022 winner Andrey Rublev, and 2017 champion Andy Murray are all looking to add to their tally as the action gets under way.

In last year’s final, good friends Medvedev and Rublev faced off, with the former world No 1 enjoying a decisive win, 6-2, 6-2, in a match that lasted only 68 minutes.

Here we take a look at the first-round draw and potential routes to the final for some of the big names.

Daniil Medvedev’s route to the final

Daniil Medvedev will begin the defence of his Dubai title with a first-round match against Alexander Shevchenko of Kazakhstan.

The Russian has not played since his loss in the Australian Open final to Jannik Sinner, and heads to Dubai with Frenchman Gilles Simon newly appointed to his team.

Potential opponents

• Round of 16: Lorenzo Sonego
• Quarter-final: Alejandro Davidovich Fokina
• Semi-final: Hubert Hurkacz
• Final: Andrey Rublev

Andrey Rublev’s route to the final

Andrey Rublev, last year’s runner-up, starts off against Zhang Zhizhen in the first round. The 2022 Dubai champion lost to rising star Jakub Mensik in the Qatar quarter-final – having made the last eight of every tournament he’s competed in thus far this year. (And, of course, he triumphed at UTS Oslo.)

Potential opponents

• Round of 16: Lorenzo Musetti
• Quarter-final: Adrian Mannarino, Sebastian Korda
• Semi-final: Karen Khachanov, Alexander Bublik
• Final: Daniil Medvedev, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina

Hubert Hurkacz’s route to the final

Hubert Hurkacz is the tournament’s third seed and will begin with a tough opponent in Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff. It doesn’t get much easier from there with his potential opponents. Still, he’s used to difficult draws in Dubai – he came up against Novak Djokovic in last year’s quarter-final.

Potential opponents

• Round of 16: Christopher O’Connell
• Quarter-final: Denis Shapovalov, Andy Murray, Gael Monfils, Ugo Humbert
• Semi-final: Daniil Medvedev, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina
• Final: Alexander Bublik, Karen Khachanov, Andrey Rublev

Karen Khachanov’s route to the final

Fourth seed Karen Khachanov heads to Dubai after a great week in Doha, but he is another one with a tricky draw ahead of him, beginning with an opener against Alexei Popyrin.

Potential opponents

• Round of 16: Jiri Lehecka
• Quarter-final: Alexander Bublik
• Semi-final: Andrey Rublev
• Final: Daniil Medvedev

Andy Murray’s route to the final

Andy Murray, who got his first win of the year in Doha, plays world No 10 Denis Shapovalov in the first round. Should he enjoy some progress through the draw, he could face Jakub Mensik in the semi-final – the young man who knocked him out in Qatar.

Potential opponents

• Round of 16: Ugo Humbert
• Quarter-final: Hubert Hurkacz
• Semi-final: Daniil Medvedev, Jakub Mensik, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina
• Final: Andrey Rublev, Alexander Bublik

Full Dubai first-round draw

Medvedev v Shevchenko
Nagal v Sonego
Mensik v Coric
Marozsan v Davidovich Fokina
Hurkacz v Struff
Qualifier v O’Connell
Shapovalov v Murray
Monfils v Humbert
Bublik v Qualifier
Griekspoor v Shelbayh
Lehecka v Qualifier
Popyrin v Khachanov
Mannarino v van de Zandschulp
Kotov v Korda
Musetti v Qualifier
Zhang v Rublev

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