Stefanos Tsitsipas is aiming to reach the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships final on Friday. EPA
Stefanos Tsitsipas is aiming to reach the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships final on Friday. EPA
Stefanos Tsitsipas is aiming to reach the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships final on Friday. EPA
Stefanos Tsitsipas is aiming to reach the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships final on Friday. EPA

Dubai Tennis: Stefanos Tsitsipas targets place in final and reaching ATP top 10 against Gael Monfils


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Stefanos Tsitsipas can achieve two firsts this weekend in Dubai.

If he wins the tournament it will give him back-to-back titles for the first time on the ATP Tour after winning in Marseille last week.

If he reaches the final, by beating Gael Monfils on Friday, it will also see him move into the top 10 in the ATP rankings for the first time in his career.

The Greek had said of the prospect of reaching the milestone of the top 10 on Thursday: "I'm thinking about it almost every day. I want it badly. I want it to happen very much. I know I'll have to win a couple of crucial matches to get there."

It has been a spectacular start to 2019 for the 20 year old. He reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open in January, his best performance to date at the grand slam, beating defending champion Roger Federer in the fourth round.

He then triumphed in Marseille, beating Mikhail Kukushkin in the final.

To keep his run going though he must get past Monfils on Friday afternoon, and the Frenchman is in equally good form, having won in Rotterdam in February.

The pair have met twice previously, both in the past six months, and both have a victory to their name.

Tsitsipas won at the Shanghai Masters 7-6, 4-6, 6-4, while Monfils prevailed in Sofia in February with a 6-3, 7-6 success.

The match on Friday starts around 5pm. Neither man has been to the Dubai final before so it will be a first for whoever wins, but Tsitsipas also has the reward of the top 10 spot as motivation to drive him on.

Final round

25 under -  Antoine Rozner (FRA)

23 - Francesco Laporta (ITA), Mike Lorenzo-Vera (FRA), Andy Sullivan (ENG), Matt Wallace (ENG)

21 - Grant Forrest (SCO)

20 - Ross Fisher (ENG)

19 - Steven Brown (ENG), Joakim Lagergren (SWE), Niklas Lemke (SWE), Marc Warren (SCO), Bernd Wiesberger (AUT)

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RESULTS

6.30pm: Maiden Dh165,000 (Dirt) 1,200
Winner: Miqyaas, Adrie de Vries (jockey), Rashed Bouresly (trainer).

7.05pm: Handicap Dh165,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Untold Secret, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer.

7.40pm: Maiden Dh165,000 (D) 1,600m​​​​​​​
Winner: Shanty Star, Fabrice Veron, Rashed Bouresly.

8.15pm: Handicap Dh190,000 (D) 1,600m​​​​​​​
Winner: Alkaamel, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi.

8.50pm: Handicap Dh175,000 (D) 1,400m​​​​​​​
Winner: Speedy Move, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.

9.25pm: Handicap Dh175,000 (D) 2,000m​​​​​​​
Winner: Quartier Francois, Fernando Jara, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.

Company%C2%A0profile
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Ballon d’Or shortlists

Men

Sadio Mane (Senegal/Liverpool), Sergio Aguero (Aregentina/Manchester City), Frenkie de Jong (Netherlans/Barcelona), Hugo Lloris (France/Tottenham), Dusan Tadic (Serbia/Ajax), Kylian Mbappe (France/PSG), Trent Alexander-Arnold (England/Liverpool), Donny van de Beek (Netherlands/Ajax), Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon/Arsenal), Marc-Andre ter Stegen (Germany/Barcelona), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal/Juventus), Alisson (Brazil/Liverpool), Matthijs de Ligt (Netherlands/Juventus), Karim Benzema (France/Real Madrid), Georginio Wijnaldum (Netherlands/Liverpool), Virgil van Dijk (Netherlands/Liverpool), Bernardo Silva (Portugal/Manchester City), Son Heung-min (South Korea/Tottenham), Robert Lewandowski (Poland/Bayern Munich), Roberto Firmino (Brazil/Liverpool), Lionel Messi (Argentina/Barcelona), Riyad Mahrez (Algeria/Manchester City), Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium/Manchester City), Kalidou Koulibaly (Senegal/Napoli), Antoine Griezmann (France/Barcelona), Mohamed Salah (Egypt/Liverpool), Eden Hazard (BEL/Real Madrid), Marquinhos (Brazil/Paris-SG), Raheem Sterling (Eengland/Manchester City), Joao Félix(Portugal/Atletico Madrid)

Women

Sam Kerr (Austria/Chelsea), Ellen White (England/Manchester City), Nilla Fischer (Sweden/Linkopings), Amandine Henry (France/Lyon), Lucy Bronze(England/Lyon), Alex Morgan (USA/Orlando Pride), Vivianne Miedema (Netherlands/Arsenal), Dzsenifer Marozsan (Germany/Lyon), Pernille Harder (Denmark/Wolfsburg), Sarah Bouhaddi (France/Lyon), Megan Rapinoe (USA/Reign FC), Lieke Martens (Netherlands/Barcelona), Sari van Veenendal (Netherlands/Atletico Madrid), Wendie Renard (France/Lyon), Rose Lavelle(USA/Washington Spirit), Marta (Brazil/Orlando Pride), Ada Hegerberg (Norway/Lyon), Kosovare Asllani (Sweden/CD Tacon), Sofia Jakobsson (Sweden/CD Tacon), Tobin Heath (USA/Portland Thorns)

 

 

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