DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — In a surprising twist at the Dubai Championships, third-seeded Andrey Rublev faced an unexpected early exit, falling to qualifier Quentin Halys with a scoreline of 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (5) on Tuesday, just days after claiming the title at the Qatar Open.
This victory marks a significant milestone for the 77th-ranked Halys, who is now set to challenge Roberto Bautista Agut in the next round, celebrating his first win against a top-10 player.
“It’s a bit surreal right now,” said the 28-year-old Frenchman. “This match took a toll on me mentally. Andrey might still be feeling the effects of his efforts in Doha. Defeating a top-10 opponent is truly a landmark moment in my career, and I’m thrilled it happened today.”
Rublev, ranked ninth in the world, was hoping to defend his title in Dubai after his impressive win against Jack Draper at the Qatar Open on Saturday.
In other action on Tuesday, top seed Daniil Medvedev triumphed over Jan-Lennard Struff in straight sets, 6-4, 7-6 (4), and will meet Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard next.
Second-seeded Alex de Minaur faced defeat against 2014 U.S. Open champion Marin Cilic, who emerged victorious with a score of 6-2, 3-6, 6-3. In further upsets, Nuno Borges knocked out eighth-seeded Arthur Fils with a dominant 6-2, 6-1 performance.
Other notable winners of the day included fifth-seeded Ugo Humbert, Matteo Berrettini, Felix Auger-Aliassime, and rising star qualifier Christopher O’Connell.
