Daniil Medvedev handed Novak Djokovic his first defeat of the year, beating the world number one 6–4 6–4 on Friday to reach the Dubai Tennis Championships final where he plays holder Andrey Rublev for a third title in as many weeks.
In a contest where the players put their early season win streaks on the line, it was Rotterdam and Doha champion Medvedev who drew first blood by breaking an error-prone Djokovic twice and closed out the first set with a searing forehand.
