Roger Federer and Stefanos Tsitsipas keep hopes of dream Dubai final alive

ATP Tour
Roger Federer backhand

Roger Federer and Stefanos Tsitsipas remain on course to meet in the Dubai Duty Free Championships finals after both progressed to the semi-final.

Although second seed Federer managed to get the job against Marton Fucsovics done in two sets, it was far from a smooth match for the Swiss player.

The 20-time Grand Slam winner, who will face either Borna Coric or Nikoloz Basilashvili in the semi-final, won 7-6 (8-6), 6-4 in one hour and 52 minutes.

Fucsovics fashioned out the only break point in the first set, which came in the opening game, but he couldn’t make it stick and Federer eventually won the tie-breaker.

After trading a couple of breaks early on, the 37-year-old claimed the crucial break in game nine and then served it out.

The fifth-seeded Tsitsipas required three sets to see off Hubert Hurkacz, who beat top seed Kei Nishikori in the second round, winning 7-6 (7-4), 6-7 (1-7), 6-1 in two hours and 20 minutes.

After they cancelled each other out in the first two sets, Tsitsipas ran away with proceedings with two breaks of serve in the decider.

Gael Monfils stands between the Greek and a place in the final after the Frenchman beat Ricardas Berankis 6-1, 6-7 (3-7), 6-2.

Monfils made it eight wins in a row as he came into the Dubai event on the back of winning the Rotterdam Open a fortnight ago.

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