Winds of war, drastic decision by Medvedev and Rublev

In Dubai, the situation seems to be under control, but the tennis players stranded in the Creekside Hotel facilities, with the exception of Daniil Medvedev who is staying in another residence, are beginning to show signs of impatience.

According to reports in the online edition of the Spanish media outlet ‘Marca,’ Medvedev and Andrey Rublev have already finalized a plan to leave the area. Their idea seems to be to drive to Oman, where a private jet awaits them ready to take them out of the conflict area on Tuesday morning. Possible destinations for the two Russians include Turkey and Armenia.

If the two athletes manage to leave as early as Monday, they would arrive without difficulty at their next scheduled engagement, the Indian Wells Masters 1000. The tournament kicks off on Wednesday, but Medvedev and Rublev’s debut is not expected until Saturday, March 7.

The other players, along with their families, coaches, ATP supervisors and umpires, a total of more than 40 people, instead await an evacuation plan with destination Istanbul. The possibility of arranging a charter flight departing from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, is being considered.

Daniil Medvedev clinched the Dubai ATP 500 tournament by taking advantage of the forfeit of Tallon Griekspoor, who did not even make it onto the court in the final due to a left hamstring injury. The Dutchman had sustained the physical problem during the semifinal win over Andrey Rublev after a slip: although he managed to close out the match in two sets, he was unable to recover in time to appear on court for the final, thus handing the trophy to the Russian.