LONDON: Two-time former Wimbledon champion Andy Murray said Wednesday the tournament “will never feel like an exhibition” despite it being stripped of ranking points over the ban on Russian and Belarusian players.
The decision by the ATP and WTA to remove the sport’s most prestigious tournament of ranking points has prompted some players to say they may skip Wimbledon, the year’s third Grand Slam.
“I’d hazard a guess that most people watching on center court Wimbledon in a few weeks’ time wouldn’t know or care about how many ranking points a player gets for winning a 3rd round match,” tweeted Murray.
“But I guarantee they will remember who wins. Wimbledon will never be an exhibition and will never feel like an exhibition.”
Former world number one Naomi Osaka has revealed she is “leaning toward not playing” Wimbledon while defending champion Novak Djokovic said he will play despite losing 2,000 points.
But Djokovic described it as a “lose-lose situation,” and the controversy has showed no signs of abating, with several players at the ongoing French Open likening Wimbledon to a high-profile exhibition event this year.
“I follow golf very closely and have no idea how many ranking points the winner of the Masters gets,” said Murray, who opted to miss the French Open to prepare for the grass-court season.
“Me and my friends love football and none of us know or care how many ranking points a team gets for winning the FIFA World Cup.
“But I could tell you exactly who won the World Cup and the Masters.”
Murray says Wimbledon ‘will never be an exhibition’
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Murray says Wimbledon ‘will never be an exhibition’
- Former world number one Naomi Osaka has revealed she is "leaning towards not playing" Wimbledon
- Defending champion Novak Djokovic said he will play despite losing 2,000 points
Medvedev to face Griekspoor in bid for second Dubai title
- Former world No. 1 Medvedev demolished top seed Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada in the semifinal
- Despite an injury, unseeded Dutchman Griekspoor beat 5th-seed Andrey Rublev in the other semifinal
DUBAI: Daniil Medvedev reached the Dubai Tennis Championships final on Friday and will face unseeded Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor as the Russian attempts to achieve something that has eluded him throughout his stellar career — winning the same tournament twice.
Former world number one Medvedev demolished top seed Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-4 6-2 in an 83-minute semifinal, setting up a title clash that could see him claim a second Dubai crown to go with his 2023 triumph.
Medvedev, who has won 22 titles at 22 different tournaments, arrived in Dubai with a point to prove after early exits in Rotterdam and Doha.
However, the third seed has been in scintillating form in Dubai, dispatching Shang Juncheng, Stan Wawrinka, Jenson Brooksby and Auger-Aliassime — all in straight sets.
“It has been an amazing four matches, probably playing better and better each match, today being the best performance,” said Medvedev.
“If I can put in an even better performance tomorrow, I will have my chances to win and that is what I am going to try to do.”
Griekspoor battles injury to beat Rublev
Standing in his way will be Griekspoor, who continued his giant-killing run by beating fifth seed Andrey Rublev 7-5 7-6(6) in the other semifinal.
The Dutchman denied the 2022 champion, who also finished runner-up the following year, another shot at the Dubai trophy, saving two set points in the second-set tiebreak.
“No idea how I pulled off this one, I could barely walk at the end of the first set,” said Griekspoor, who took a medical timeout for treatment in the opening set.
“He served extremely well. I got very lucky in the tiebreak to win it in two sets ... I landed with a serve and felt something in my hamstring.
“If he had won the tiebreak, I don’t know if I would have continued.”
It marked three consecutive top-20 wins for Griekspoor for the first time in his career after he beat second seed Alexander Bublik and Jakub Mensik en route to the final.
Griekspoor, who has won three ATP 250 titles in his career, will be looking to add a first ATP 500 trophy to his collection when he faces Medvedev.
