Andrey Rublev is the highest seed left in the Qatar Open after a dramatic day that saw fellow Russian Daniil Medvedev quit his quarter-final with food poisoning. (More Tennis News)
𝄹Top seed Carlos Alcaraz was beaten by Jiri Lehecka, second seed Alex De Minaur lost at the hands of Rublev, and fourth seed Medvedev exited with illness.
🉐It left Rublev, the fifth seed, and Jack Draper, the eighth seed, as the only seeds left in the semi-finals after a strong last-eight line-up was decimated.
𝓰Rublev made hard work of his win, requiring eight match points to defeat De Minaur 6-1 3-6 7-6 (10-8).
☂That show of resolve will be welcome for the 2020 Doha champion, though, as he had been without a top-10 win since August.
ꦑRublev will now be the favourite in the next round against Felix Auger-Aliassime, the beneficiary of Medvedev's unfortunate departure.
🎉The Canadian took the first set 6-3 before Medvedev signalled he could not continue, explaining his problem in a statement.
🌺Auger-Aliassime also received a walkover in the previous round and said: "I got through the first round, different conditions than the past weeks, and then, after that, I played a set only when I should have won at least four.
"I don't know what to say, it's weird."
ꦍDraper headed through to face Lehecka on the other side of the draw, recovering from a set down to beat Matteo Berrettini 4-6 6-4 6-3.
