Top-seed Daniil Medvedev was stunned by Tallon Griekspoor at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Thursday as the world No 47 recorded the biggest win of his career.
The Dutchman saved three match points to beat Medvedev 2-6, 7-6, 7-5 to reach the semi-finals at the ATP 500, his eighth last-four appearance on the ATP Tour.
“I’m absolutely thrilled with this win,” Griekspoor said. “I had to fight off a few match points in the second set … Daniil is an incredible player and competitor. He’s been at the top of the game for years, so this is a huge victory for me.”
Griekspoor had already beaten Roman Safiullin in the first round and defending champion Ugo Humbert in the second, and will now face fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas, who won a hard-fought match 7-6, 1-6, 6-4 against Matteo Berrettini to reach his first semi-final since July 2024.
“[Daniil] played unbelievably well in the first set,” said Griekspoor. “I wasn’t doing too much wrong, but he was just better. I just tried to hang in there, even after going a break down in the second. Once I broke back, I felt the momentum shift a little in my favour.
"I had some luck on the match points I saved and in the second-set tiebreak, and even when I had match points myself, it took a few tries to close it out.”
Medvedev, who had been seeking a third successive Dubai semi-final, was asked what changed in the second set.
“[Tallon] started playing better in some moments. I do think in a way he got lucky with some shots, but that’s tennis. When I say ‘lucky’, he also went for it, so he deserves it. It’s on his side this week, luck. Sometimes it happens: You go all the way like this – a little bit crazy. Let’s see where it brings him.”
For now, it has brought him to the semi-final in Dubai and a tie with former World No 3 Tsitsipas, after the Greek star outlasted Berrettini in a match that went on until after midnight.
“It’s a great feeling being back so deep in a tournament,” said Tsitsipas. “It brings a smile to my face to know I’ve been playing good tennis to get to the semis of one of the biggest 500s.
"It was a difficult match, lots of ups and downs. My first set was a great effort to finish it off, but I didn’t really deliver in the second – it was pretty poor. I find it actually quite confusing how I managed to win in the end because it felt like I was going through some mental battle during the match.”
Felix Auger-Aliassime will play Quentin Halys in the other semi-final after he defeated Marin Cilic.
Canadian Auger-Aliassime took two hours, 18 minutes before Cilic, facing match point on serve, sent a forehand wide. The former World No 6 fired a total of 13 aces and broke the Croat three times to reach his fourth semi-final of 2025.
“It’s been a great start,” said Auger-Aliassime of his Tour-leading 15 wins this season. “Of course there’s the work, but then there’s also just seizing opportunities. Sometimes you have to be fortunate … This week, I won three three-set matches that went back and forth. Now the level is so high everywhere, the margins are really small, but I’m glad that it went my way and another semi-final – it’s great.”
Halys secured a first semi-final at an ATP 500 with a 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 victory over Lucky Loser Luca Nardi. Halys had earlier this week stunned third seed Andrey Rublev, who won in Dubai in 2022.
“The end was crazy,” Halys said. “We were missing some easy shots and playing some crazy rallies … I’m super happy about the win and how I handled the end of the match.
"I’m coming from the qualifiers; I didn’t have many matches before this tournament. The way I’m playing this week is crazy good.”
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
Baby Driver
Director: Edgar Wright
Starring: Ansel Elgort, Kevin Spacey, Jamie Foxx, Lily James
Three and a half stars
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Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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UAE
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ELIO
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The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
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Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
MATCH INFO
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MATCH INFO
Real Madrid 2 (Benzema 13', Kroos 28')
Barcelona 1 (Mingueza 60')
Red card: Casemiro (Real Madrid)
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