Tallon Griekspoor won the biggest match of his entire career in the quarterfinals of the Dubai ATP 500 yesterday. The Dutch ace who is a very fearsome player on this surface thanks to his serve and aggressive tennis was literally one step away from defeat against Daniil Medvedev.
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The former world No.1 played his best tennis for a set and a half, showing flashes of his 'old version' and taking a set and a break ahead. Tallon never gave up despite the Russian champion's superiority in the first half of the match and continued to fight, recovering the break disadvantage thanks to a significant effort.
A memorable win
Griekspoor found himself one step away from the abyss at the end of the second set, when he had to erase four match points on his serve. At that moment, the Dutch player showed all his courage and extended the contest to the third set thanks to a series of truly exceptional points.
The world number 47 took advantage of the positive momentum in the third set, forcing Medvedev to play in areas of the court where he has many weaknesses and closing the match after a wrong backhand from his opponent.
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"I would like to celebrate, but I know I have to stay focused because the tournament is not over," Griekspoor said during his press conference.
"I'm very happy with this victory, I had to cancel four match points in the second set and I was very good from a mental point of view. Daniil is an exceptional player, always fighting on every point and has been at the top of the ATP rankings for many years," he added.
The Dutch ace explained how he dealt with the four match points: "I knew I had to be brave in those moments.
Sometimes you also need a little luck and I had the feeling that fate was on my side. I will try to recover in the best possible way for the semi-final."
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His next opponent will be Stefanos Tsitsipas.
