Russia's Andrey Rublev will face Czech qualifier Jiri Vesely in Saturday’s final of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.
The number two seed claimed a tense 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 victory over Hubert Hurkacz and Vesely outlasted sixth seed Denis Shapovalov 6-7, 7-6, 7-6.
Rublev wrote “No War Please” on a TV camera moments after advancing to the final at the Dubai Championships on Friday.
Rublev had just beaten Hurkacz when he wrote his message on the camera, as is common after matches.
Rublev will face Czech qualifier Vesely for the first time in the Dubai final on Saturday.
Vesely, who knocked out Novak Djokovic in the quarterf-inals, followed with another top-20 win when he outlasted Denis Shapovalov in more than three hours.
“I’m having a dream run here,” Vesely said.
Colm McLoughlin, executive vice chairman and CEO of Dubai Duty Free, said: "We could not have wished for two better semi-finals.”
"It is a pity that someone had to lose as all four deserved their place in the final, but we congratulate Andrey Rublev and Jiri Vesely and look forward to seeing which of them will claim the trophy," he added.
World Sevens Series standing after Dubai
1. South Africa
2. New Zealand
3. England
4. Fiji
5. Australia
6. Samoa
7. Kenya
8. Scotland
9. France
10. Spain
11. Argentina
12. Canada
13. Wales
14. Uganda
15. United States
16. Russia
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