ABU DHABI: The final of the 14th Mubadala World Tennis Championship promises to be a thrilling affair between defending champion Andrey Rublev and Stefanos Tsitsipas following a scintillating day of semifinal action at the International Tennis Centre, Zayed Sports City, in Abu Dhabi.

In the first semifinal match of the day, World No. 4 Tsitsipas, the 2021 French Open finalist, overcame World No. 3 Casper Ruud 6-2, 6-2, to book his spot in the final.

With the Tennis Village and stadium court in full swing, Tsitsipas put on a gutsy performance and showed dominance all through the match. After losing the first set, Ruud tried to come out fighting in set two, but Greek star Tsitsipas secured successive breaks in the fifth and seventh games in a five-game run to wrap up victory.

After booking a personal second successive MWTC final spot, having made it to the final on debut in 2019, Tsitsipas said: “Overall, everything is there. I’m able to close off points, my movement seems to be good. I’m happy with how I move, how I respond to difficult shots and how I’m trying to get out of tough situations. It was great being out in the court.”

One impressive victory was followed by another with defending MWTC champion Rublev getting the better of World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz, as the MWTC once again lived up to its billing as the Arabian Gulf’s leading professional tennis experience.

The second semifinal match was an eagerly awaited clash between Rublev and Alcaraz. Roared on by a knowledgeable and passionate crowd, both players put on a fine performance, but Rublev, who has shown he feels at home on the International Tennis Centre court, turned on the style to win 6-2, 6-1.

“I was lucky that I played a match on Day 1 of the championship, which helped me play at a better level, further enhancing my game today. Alcaraz put on a fight today but having been away from the sport for a few weeks, it always takes some time to get back into the game. We’re both working hard during our preseason so we’re ready for what’s to come in 2023.

My match against Tsitsipas will be quite challenging as he has done a lot of his preseason in the UAE and has adapted well to the conditions. He has performed at an extremely high level in the previous two matches, but I am looking to face him tomorrow and I will definitely put on a good fight,” said Rublev.

First semifinalist Ruud will play against Alcaraz for third place on Sunday before the final, a repeat of the 2022 US Open final.

Meanwhile, earlier on Day 2, Cameron Norrie claimed fifth place with a 6-3, 7-5 victory over Borna Coric.