Two of the four remaining players in the bottom half of the draw in Dubai are still unavailable, with Arthur Rinderknech and Tallon Griekspoor breaking the squad. They face Andrey Rublev and Jakub Mensik, respectively.
(5) Andrey Rublev vs. Arthur Rinderknecht
Rublev and Rinderknech will be facing each other for the fourth time in their careers when they meet in the quarterfinals of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Thursday. All three of their previous meetings have gone Rublev’s way – in four sets at the 2023 US Open, both at the 2024 Washington, DC tournament, and in five at the 2024 US Open.
Can Rinderknech turn the tide in Dubai? It’s impossible. The world No. 31 has struggled a bit since his memorable run to the final in Shanghai last season and is coming off tough three-setters against Fabian Marozsan and Jack Draper. Rublev needed three to get past Ugo Humbert in Wednesday’s top-quality contest, but he preempted that result with Valentin Royer’s direct hit. If the neutral 18th seed plays the way he did against Humbert, he should take care of the Frenchman without too much trouble.
Select: Rublev in 2
(6) Jakub Mensik vs. Tallon Griekspoor
Mensik came out of the gates in 2026, sporting a 12-3 record with a title in Auckland and a Doha upset of Jannik Sinner. The 13th-ranked Czech ended up losing in the semi-finals in Doha, but at least that left him well-rested in Dubai. Showing no signs of slowing down, Mensik earned a place in the last eight by beating Hubert Hurkacz and Alexei Popyrin in straight sets.
Next up for the 20-year-old on Thursday is a first-ever meeting with Griekspoor, who have improved with wins over Otto Virtanen and Alexander Bublik. Still, the 25th-ranked Dutchman is just 5-6 this season. Griekspoor is an extremely strong player, but Mensik’s delivery and prediction will be the two biggest weapons on the pitch – so the match will be in the number 6 seed rack.
Choose: Mensik in 3
