ATP Dubai: Daniil Medvedev recovers from meals poisoning, tops Struff

The highest seed Daniil Medvedev made a profitable begin in Dubai. The 2023 Dubai Responsibility Free Tennis Championships winner confronted Jan-Lennard Struff within the first spherical and earned a 6-4, 7-6 triumph in an hour and 44 minutes.

Daniil retired towards Felix Auger-Aliassime final week attributable to meals poisoning. He recovered and produced one other tremendous efficiency towards the German. The highest seed took 9 factors greater than his rival and fought nicely regardless of serving at 55%!

Medvedev dropped 20 factors in 11 service video games and denied all 4 break factors to maintain the strain on the opposite aspect. Jan-Lennard struggled behind the second serve and performed towards ten break probabilities.

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) February 25, 2025

He denied 9 and battled properly earlier than falling within the tie break of the second set. Daniil tamed his strokes properly and laded 25 winners and 21 unforced errors. Struff hit 27 direct factors and sprayed 44 errors, struggling huge time from the baseline.

They hit the identical variety of service winners, whereas Daniil claimed 30 factors extra from the baseline! Jan-Lennard couldn’t do a lot in the commonest exchanges. His good resistance got here after taking virtually 30 factors on the internet compared to Medvedev’s two!

Jan-Lennard Struff & Daniil Medvedev, Dubai 2025© Stream screenshot

Struffl squandered a recreation level within the third recreation of the match and confronted a break level after Medvedev’s forehand down the road winner. The Russian landed one other forehand winner followinga thrilling change and secured an early benefit.

World no. 6 saved a break level within the fourth recreation with an ace and generated three alternatives on the return within the subsequent one. The German denied them and introduced the sport house to stay inside one break deficit.

Daniil Medvedev, Dubai 2025© Stream screenshot

Jan-Lennard denied one other break level in recreation recreation and held after a deuce two video games later to cut back the deficit to 5-4. Struff made a push on the return and landed a winner on the internet to create two break factors. Daniil saved them with highly effective serves.

He confronted the third break level and erased it with one other booming preliminary shot. World no. 6 transformed a set level with an unreturned serve, shifting 6-4 up after 45 minutes. The opening recreation of the second set lasted 11 minutes.

Jan-Lennard denied three break factors and plenty of deuces to deliver the sport house and keep away from an early setback. Daniil produced two tremendous holds and stepped in on the return at 2-2. The Russian painted a backhand down the road return winner for 2 break probabilities.

Struff saved them with tremendous hitting and remained on the optimistic aspect. These had been the final probabilities for the returners, as they produced seven comfy holds and launched a tie break. Medvedev drew the rival’s mistake within the first level for a mini-break.

The Russian landed two service winners for 3-0 and landed a backhand winner within the fourth level to increase the benefit. Jan-Lennard missed a volley within the fifth level, experiencing one other mini-break and falling 5-0 behind.

Daniil generated 5 match factors with a service winner at 5-1. Struff denied three and lowered the hole to 6-4. Medvedev transformed the fourth match level with a forehand winner, sealing the deal and shifting into the final 16.