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NO SPOILERS 🎥

If you don't want to see the results yet, and want to catch up with the highlights first, stop scrolling now. (If these links have been taken down, tap the ‘view in browser’ button at the top of this email and there should be updated links):

Federer 🎥 Fucsovics

Tsitsipas 🎥 Hurkacz (Match Of The Day🔥)

Berankis 🎥 Monfils

RESULTS 🎾

💥 = Beatdown \\ 🤕 = Injury \\ ‼️ = Upset

DUBAI 🇦🇪

(ATP 500 - Hard)

Federer d Fucsovics: 7-6(6), 6-4

A very even first set that was disrupted by a rain delay at 5-5. Neither player made great strides at breaking down the others serve (Federer saved the only break point of the set), with Fed looking a little sluggish in cooler, windy conditions. The Swiss came up incredibly clutch after the rain delay, while at 15-30, to save himself from a 15-40 hole:

— Pretty amazing how often Federer gets himself out of sticky situations like this.

But Fucsovics was the first to manufacture a mini break in the ensuing tiebreaker, for a 5*-4 lead, and gave himself two service points in a row to try and clinch the opening set. The first was converted after Federer missed a backhand, but the second was surrendered by the Hungarian, after a tame forehand could only find the middle of the net. Federer then saved a second set point, on his own serve this time, thanks to a nice aggressive forehand down the line. 6-6. Fucsovics went on to lose four points in a row, netting another forehand, when facing Federer’s first set point at 6*-7. A scrappy set overall from Federer, who got a little lucky in the breaker. Federer: 9 winners to 21 unforced errors. Fucsovics: 9 winners to 12 errors.

Federer started the 2nd set on fire, winning 8 out of the first 11 points to go up an immediate break of serve thanks to some sublime shotmaking. However the advantage didn’t last long, with the Swiss struggling to land 1st serves at 2*-1, and dumped a forehand into the net to surrender his advantage. 2-2. All of a sudden Federer looked rather impatient, and was forced to fend off another break point at 3*-4 with some timely aggression. The longer the points went on, the more they were favouring Fucsovics:

A marathon Fucsovics service game at 4-4 presented a few break points for Federer, but a wild Fed error, followed by a wonderful forehand-volley combo from Fucsovics got the Hungarian back to a 6th(!) deuce:

— Bold and brilliant play from Fucsovics under pressure.

A mini rain (reign?) delay disrupted the match once again, and after play resumed Fucsovics finally yielded, missing a forehand wide to ensure that Federer would get the chance to serve for the match at 5*-4. The Swiss managed to close out his final service game, and book his place in the semi-finals.

Overall it was a tough match for Federer, who looked sluggish and a bit error prone for parts of this evening in nasty rainy/windy conditions (hitting 19 winners to 34 unforced errors). But Fed managed to raise his game and stay steady when it mattered, and will be very pleased to have gone it done in straight sets. Fucsovics’s first serve in (49% overall) let him down in some of the more important moments of the match (1st set tiebreaker and penultimate game of the match), but the Hungarian fought well today and exhibited his brand of all court tennis magnificently at times.

Tsitsipas d Hurkacz: 7-6(4), 6-7(1), 6-1

A very mature performance from Tsitsipas, who encountered a few dips in his level/stamina, and faced a strong comeback from Hurkacz in the 2nd set, but stayed strong and clever with his shot selection. Stefanos’s big point play was very impressive today, coming up with high margin but aggressive serving, and some clever net play, to ward off an opponent who really impressed during a tight second set. Hurkacz recovered from a break down in the 2nd, and then played a near-flawless breaker to extend this match to a decider. But Stefanos, clearly riding high on confidence after winning 6 (now 7) matches in a row, hit the afterburners in the 3rd set to blitz his way to a 6-1 finish. That third set was a masterclass from the young Greek, bombing down serves (winning 13/14 1st serve points) and putting so many returns in play off big Hurkacz delivery’s (Hurkacz won just 6/12 1st serve points in the deciding set).

Sets up a blockbuster vs Monfils.

Also:

Monfils d Berankis: 6-1, 6-7(3), 6-2

Berankis did an excellent job of attacking Monfils’ 2nd serve in the 2nd set to make the match somewhat close and force a decider (winning 69% 2nd serve return points). But frankly when Monfils wanted to be today, he was just way too good for his opponent. Cutting a bad tempered figure for much of the 3rd set, Monfils once again found the effortless yet devastating level he demonstrated in the 1st set, to close out the match with relative ease. Gael continues his excellent run of form, looking near-unplayable when he’s engaged and hungry. Tsitsipas tomorrow.

Coric d Basilashvili: 4-6, 6-2, 7-6(1)

5 SHOTS OF THE DAY 😮

— Huge early forehand from Federer. He hit a couple of these today that barely seemed to bounce when they landed on Fucsovics’s side of the court:

— Stunning drop shot from Federer. Knew exactly how far wide and deep his kick serve had forced Fucsovics.

— Stunning return from Tsitsipas (off a 207kph serve). No follow through, just a good old fashioned punch.

— Monfils being Monfils.🔥

WHAT’S ON TOMORROW/TONIGHT 📅

DUBAI (Friday)

— Centre Court: (5pm Local, 1pm UK, 7am CT) —

🇫🇷 Monfils vs Tsitsipas 🇬🇷 (H2H: 1-1) (Hard Court H2H: 1-1) 🔥

Prediction: Monfils in 3

— NB 7pm Local, 4pm UK, 10am CT) —

🇨🇭 Federer vs Coric 🇭🇷 (H2H: 2-2) (Hard Court H2H: 2-1) 🔥

Prediction: Federer in 2

ACAPULCO (Thursday)

— Cancha Central: 5pm Local, 11pm UK, 5pm CT) —

🇬🇧 Norrie vs McDonald 🇺🇸 (1st Meeting) 🔥

Prediction: McDonald in 3

— NB 6:30pm Local, 12:30am UK, 6:30pm CT) —

🇩🇪 A.Zverev vs De Minaur 🇦🇺 (H2H: 3-0) (Hard Court H2H: 3-0) 🔥

Prediction: Zverev in 2

🇨🇭Wawrinka vs Kyrgios 🇦🇺 (H2H: 3-2) (Hard Court H2H: 2-1) 🔥

Prediction: Wawrinka in 2

— NB 10pm Local, 4am UK, 10pm CT) —

🇺🇸 Isner vs Millman 🇦🇺 (H2H: 2-0) (Hard Court H2H: 1-0)

Prediction: Isner in 3

EXTRAS 🔍📊🎤

— Still racking up milestones.

— Fed was a little grumpy today after handing the break back in the 2nd set. Video 🎥.

— Kyrgios on instagram about Nadal. According to the Metro he also told Cameron Norrie in the changing room after the match that the result was “to be expected”. Given the fact that Kyrgios was almost completely out of control of the outcome of the match until the last point or so, this is Nick with some trademark trolling😂.

— Tennis TV getting creative with their stats.

— In the aftermath of the (failed) Kyrgios underarm serve last night, quite a few tennis writers seemed very confident in its effectiveness, despite it never working vs Nadal, and its rarity on the tour in general. After seeing that Kyrgios’s attempt…

... which had its second bounce a *metre* past the baseline, it’s easy to see why it’s so rare. It’s incredibly low margin to try & hit such a shot with enough backspin, and short enough in the service box, to actually gain an advantage. Also if you’re facing Kyrgios, which would you prefer? A 140mph bomb from one of the best overarm serves in the game? Or an underarm dolly dropper?

NEW BALLS PLEASE 👀

Everyone’s favourite awkward dad Roger Federer video-bombing Monfils and Svitolina: Video 🎥

— Stefanos Slipsipas.

— Nick REALLY doubling down on the villain role.😅

GAME, SET, MATCH 👋

— The Racquet is created, and written, by Matt.

— You can find me on Twitter here.

See you tomorrow for Semi-Final day from Dubai & Acapulco.