Daniil Medvedev cruised in his quarter-final at the 2024 Dubai Championships, but Ugo Humbert may prove to be a challenge in the semi-final.
It's going to be a really tricky match either way. Medvedev played amazingly at the Australian Open but left the country without a big trophy. He was away from the sport since then, only returning this week in Dubai, and it's as if he didn't miss a beat.
Sure, there was some stumbling, as he needed three sets to beat Lorenzo Sonego in the second round, but for the most part, the Russian was able to cruise through his matches.
The win over Alejandro Davidovich Fokina was hugely impressive. He's looking better with every match, and that's bad news for Humbert.
The French player had to work really hard to battle his way past Hubert Hurkacz, but he got it done. So what can he really do against Medvedev, who is the defending champion at this event.
Medvedev and Humbert played a few times, and the French player actually leads the H2H. Humbert won the first two matches they played, but Medvedev won the last match they played last year.
It was actually in Beijing, so an outdoor hard court like in Dubai, and Medvedev won the match. It was a pretty close and competitive match between the players, so we might be in store for another one.
What makes Humbert so tricky to play is a very good forehand and a good serve. If that combo is clicking, then it's going to be really tough for Medvedev.
| Daniil Medvedev | Ugo Humbert | |
| 1 | H2H | 2 |
| 4 | Rank | 18 |
| 28 | Age | 25 |
| 9-1 | 2024 W/L | 11-3 |
| 339-137 | Career W/L | 112-104 |
Luckily, he's used to that, and there are very few players who are better equipped to counter that type of style.
Prediction: Daniil Medvedev to win in 3 sets.