Djokovic advances, Rublev saves five match points in Dubai win Fourth-ranked Rudd loses to qualifier Daniel in Acapulco Top-seeded Musetti knocked out by Munar at Chile Open

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates. Top-ranked Novak Djokovic advanced to the quarter-finals of the Dubai Championship after beating Tallon Greekspur 6-2, 6-3 on Wednesday.

Djokovic neatly extended his winning streak to 19 matches the next day after 130th-place Thomas Machak took him to a tiebreak in the third set.

“Yesterday I really had to work hard to win. Tonight… I was blunt,” Djokovic said.

The 35-year-old Serbian broke Grikspur’s 39th place four times and has remained undefeated this season. This was Djokovic’s second match since winning his 10th Australian Open title.

The five-time Dubai champion took a few weeks off after overcoming a hamstring problem in Australia to win his record 22nd Grand Slam singles title.

Djokovic called his 26-year-old rival from the Netherlands “one of the most progressive players” on the tour.

“New generations are coming, but I’m not afraid,” Djokovic said with a smile in his on-court interview.

Djokovic will face Hubert Gurkacz, who beat Pavel Kotov 7-5, 6-1.

Also on Wednesday, the reigning champion Andrei Rublev defeated Alejandro Davidovich Fokin with a score of 1:6, 7:6 (6), 7:6 (3).

The Russian scored five match points in the tie-break of the second set. He won seven points in a row after losing 1-6.

“In my head… the match was over,” second seeded Rublev said at a press conference.

This is the third time this season that he has scored points en route to victory.

“I have no words. These matches, when they end and you somehow win them, are always special,” he said.

Davidovich Fokina lost 6-1 in the third set tie-break and saved two match points before Rublev finished him off on his third attempt.

Rublev will face Botić van de Zandschulp in the quarterfinals.

Third-placed Daniil Medvedev used an underhand serve to close his 6-4, 6-2 victory over Alexander Bublik, who often uses this tactic, including early in the match. The next opponent of the 27-year-old Russian will be Borna Coric, who finished 20th.

Lorenzo Sonego beat fourth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime 7-6 (4), 6-4 and will face Alexander Zverev in the final eight. Zverev beat qualifier Christopher O’Connell 7-5, 6-4.

Acapulco, Mexico. Fourth-place Casper Rudd lost to Taro qualifier Daniel 7-5, 2-6, 7-6 (5) in a Round of 16 match at the Mexico Open on Wednesday.

For Daniel, this victory was the first in the game against a player from the top 10 and took him to the quarterfinals. 30-year-old Daniel, ranked 125th in the ATP rankings, played 0-8 against players from the top 10.

Prior to defeating Ruud, Daniel’s best victory was over Novak Djokovic at Indian Wells in 2018 when the Serbian finished 13th.

Ruud was ranked 2nd after losing in the last US Open final to Carlos Alcaraz. Against Daniel, the Norwegian made 46 unforced errors and slipped to 3-4 in 2023.

Daniel will try to extend his successful streak against Alex De Minor, who beat Jacopo Berrettini 6:1, 6:0.

In other matches on Wednesday, Frances Tiafoe beat Feliciano Lopez 6-2, 7-6(6) and will face Taylor Fritz, who defeated Denis Shapovalov 6-4, 6-4.

In addition, Mackenzie McDonald edged out Brandon Nakashima 6-2, 6-0 and will take on Tommy Paul, who reached the quarterfinals when Michael Mmoh retired in the second set and Matteo Berrettini edged out Elias Ymer 6-3, 6-3.

SANTIAGO, Chile. Spain’s Jaume Munar beat top seed Lorenzo Musetti 6-4, 6-4 to reach the Chile Open clay court quarter-finals on Wednesday.

Musetti, the 18th-placed Italian, has dropped 1-3 in South America this season.

66th-placed Munar’s next opponent will be Brazil’s Thiago Monteiro, who took the lead after beating Italy’s Marco Cecchinato 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.

Earlier Wednesday, Germany’s Yannick Hanfmann beat Roberto Carbales Baena 7-6 (6), 6-2. Hanfmann’s next player will be either Diego Schwartzman, who finished fourth, or Chile’s Nicolas Jarri.