DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The Dubai Championships are set to witness an exciting final showdown between Stefanos Tsitsipas and Felix Auger-Aliassime. The two seasoned players will face off for the tenth time on the tour this Saturday. Currently, Tsitsipas holds a lead with a 6-3 record in their past confrontations and has maintained dominance over Auger-Aliassime since 2020. In finals, however, their record stands at an even 1-1.
A victory for Tsitsipas in this final match would mark his return to the top 10 rankings, a position he has not held since June. In the semifinals, the No. 11-ranked Greek defeated Netherlands’ No. 47-ranked Tallon Griekspoor with a score of 6-4, 6-4, not conceding a single break point.
“I feel extremely happy that I was able to avoid the drama today, and play good tennis,” Tsitsipas expressed after clinching a spot in his first hard-court final since 2023. Tsitsipas is making a notable return to the Dubai tournament, having reached the finals three times consecutively. However, his past attempts ended in defeat against Roger Federer in 2019 and Novak Djokovic in 2020.
On the other side, No. 21-ranked Auger-Aliassime emerged victorious over French qualifier and No. 77-ranked Quentin Halys, securing a 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 win. The Canadian has been consistently playing four-set matches throughout the tournament, turning his current match in his favor midway through the second set. This crucial moment came when Auger-Aliassime hustled to counter Halys’ smash with a cross-court winner, setting up a break point that he successfully converted, subsequently dominating the conclusion of the game.
“We were both feeling a bit tired I think,” Auger-Aliassime reflected. “It was just (about) having positive self talk. When we’re having a tough day, just to have a pep talk and stay positive. I did that well and dug deep physically.” Auger-Aliassime has already clinched titles in Adelaide and Montpellier this year, and this represents his first time advancing to three finals in a single season since 2022.
