Griekspoor Snaps Streak Against Bublik in Dubai

In the midday glare of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, Tallon Griekspoor arrived with a grudge etched from four losses to Alexander Bublik. The Dutchman, ranked No. 25, targeted the World No. 10’s serve right away, breaking in the second game with deep returns that pinned the Kazakhstani back. That early edge carried him to a 6-3 first set, his crosscourt forehands landing heavy and forcing uncharacteristic errors from a player known for chaos on the baseline.

Griekspoor’s patience paid off as he absorbed Bublik’s underarm tricks and drop shots, turning defense into pressure with consistent depth. The 82-minute match echoed their 2024 Dubai tiebreak defeats, but this time the underdog held firm.

Big time Tallon @Griekii overcomes Bublik 6-3, 7-6(4), snapping a four-match losing streak against him, to advance to the last eight in Dubai!@DDFTennis | #DDFTennis pic.twitter.com/VUlR1oVHG6

— ATP Tour (@atptour) February 25, 2026

Clutch hold shifts the tide

The second set tested resolve when Griekspoor stared down 0/40 at 1-1, escaping with a slice backhand and an inside-out winner that drew cheers from the sparse UAE crowd. Bublik pushed to a tiebreak, but the Dutchman seized four of the final five points, clinching 7-6(4) and flipping their head-to-head to 1-4. This breakthrough, two years in the making, freed him from rivalry shadows, his improved footwork thriving on the courts’ grippy pace.

Ahead waits Jakub Mensik, the sixth-seeded Czech who cruised past Alexei Popyrin 6-3, 6-2. At 20, Mensik carries a 13-3 season mark, including an upset over Jannik Sinner in Doha last week, now leading Popyrin 3-0 with flat groundstrokes that exploit wide serves.

Mensik’s fire tests new momentum

Mensik’s down-the-line passes could stretch Griekspoor’s movement, pitting the Czech’s efficiency against the Dutchman’s topspin grind. On these low-bouncing hard courts, the quarterfinal hinges on who dictates the short ball first, with Griekspoor’s return aggression offering a counter to Mensik’s 90 percent hold rate. The 20-year-old’s surge adds edge to a matchup where personal redemption meets rising threat.

Four seeds advanced amid rising tension. Daniil Medvedev started strong, ending Stan Wawrinka‘s Dubai story with a 6-2, 6-3 rout, his inside-in forehands overwhelming the 2016 champion’s one-hander. The third seed, a 2023 winner here, next faces Jenson Brooksby, who upset seventh seed Karen Khachanov 7-6(6), 6-4 using varied slices to disrupt rhythm.

Seeds grind through upsets and grinds

Felix Auger-Aliassime, the top seed and World No. 8, neutralized Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard ‘s bombs for a 6-4, 6-4 win, his deep returns forcing errors in long rallies. He meets Jiri Lehecka, the eighth seed who outlasted qualifier Pablo Carreno Busta 7-6(6), 6-4 with underspin variations on the speedy surface.

Andrey Rublev, the 2022 Dubai titlist and fifth seed, battled Ugo Humbert for two hours and 23 minutes, securing 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-3 by rushing the net on short balls. His hard serves pressured returns, setting up a clash with fourth seed Jack Draper or Arthur Rinderknech.

These results reveal Dubai’s demand for adaptation, where underdogs like Brooksby inject unpredictability into a draw of top-10 firepower. For Griekspoor, the upset fuels a deeper run, his tactical poise ready to challenge the seeds’ dominance on courts that reward bold returns and mental steel.