Felix Auger-Aliassime defeated Jiri Lehecka, 6-3, 7-6, in the quarterfinals of the Dubai Tennis Championships.
The Canadian has now won 11 of his last 12 matches, continuing his impressive ATP Tour form.
Auger-Aliassime will now prepare to take on Daniil Medvedev in the semis, after the Russian beat Jenson Brooksby in the earlier quarterfinal.
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During his post-match interview, Auger-Aliassime shared his thoughts on Medvedev ahead of their 10th career meeting.
Felix Auger-Aliassime admits he finds it ‘tough’ to beat Daniil Medvedev
The Canadian previewed his semifinal match against Medvedev.
“Very different game styles, of course, it’s like two opposite styles battling tomorrow,” said Auger-Aliassime.
“I try to come forward, he tries to make me miss, we’ll see who gets the better of the game plan.”
Auger-Aliassime looked back at their previous nine ATP Tour meetings.
“He’s gotten the better of me; it took me seven, eight times to beat him,” he said.
“We had some tight matches over the years.
Felix Auger-Aliassime and Daniil Medvedev’s head-to-head record
| Match | Winner | Loser | Score |
| 2025 Qatar Open – QF | Felix Auger-Aliassime | Daniil Medvedev | 6-3 (RET) |
| 2024 Olympics – 3R | Felix Auger-Aliassime | Daniil Medvedev | 6-3, 7-6 |
| 2024 Australian Open – 3R | Daniil Medvedev | Felix Auger-Aliassime | 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 |
| 2023 Qatar Open – SF | Daniil Medvedev | Felix Auger-Aliassime | 6-4, 7-6 |
| 2023 Rotterdam Open – QF | Daniil Medvedev | Felix Auger-Aliassime | 6-2, 6-4 |
| 2022 Australian Open – QF | Daniil Medvedev | Felix Auger-Aliassime | 6-7, 3-6, 7-6, 7-5, 6-4 |
| 2022 ATP Cup – SF | Daniil Medvedev | Felix Auger-Aliassime | 6-4, 6-0 |
| 2021 US Open – SF | Daniil Medvedev | Felix Auger-Aliassime | 6-4, 7-5, 6-2 |
| 2018 Canadian Open – 2R | Daniil Medvedev | Felix Auger-Aliassime | 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 |
“I got the better of him once at the Olympics, then he retired last year in Doha, I think.
“Tough guy for me to beat.
“Hell of a player, one of the best of our generation, so always a lot of respect for his game.”
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Auger-Aliassime lost his first seven matches against Medvedev before beating the Russian at the 2024 Olympics.
Then, he picked up his second win when Medvedev retired from their Qatar Open quarterfinal last year.
Momentum looks to be with Auger-Aliassime, but it will be a tough match regardless.
Auger-Aliassime and Medvedev will battle it out for a place in the Dubai Tennis Championships final on Friday, February 27.
Felix Auger-Aliassime explains why it’s so difficult to play like Roger Federer
Interviewer Richard Connelly asked Auger-Aliassime whose standards he aspired to match when he first joined the ATP Tour.
“When I came on tour, obviously Novak [Djokovic] was dominating, he had been dominating the Grand Slams and everything on tour for the last 10 years or so,” he said.
“Then obviously, Roger [Federer], growing up, was a big inspiration.
“But Roger is tough to replicate, he’s so unique, the way he plays, we all dream of playing like him, but it’s almost impossible.
“But Novak, to see his progression as a player, to have studied him since I was a kid, it’s unbelievable, so that’s kind of the standards, when I came on tour, he was the guy.”
Federer and Djokovic used to set the standard, but now it’s Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.
“Now we have the freak of Carlos Alcaraz, and obviously, Jannik Sinner is a great player,” said Auger-Aliassime.
“So these guys are paving the way, but I’m right there, and I try to put up some great standards.”
Auger-Aliassime certainly matched those high standards during his quarterfinal win over Lehecka.
‘The serve was great’ – Felix Auger-Aliassime on Dubai quarterfinal win
The Canadian was impressed with how he served in the quarterfinals, hitting 16 aces against Lehecka.
“I think the serve was great,” said Auger-Aliassime.
Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Jiri Lehecka – Match stats
| Stats | Felix Auger-Aliassime | Jiri Lehecka |
| Aces | 16 | 7 |
| Double faults | 2 | 0 |
| 1st Serve % | 66% | 66% |
| Win % on 1st Serve | 83% | 67% |
| Win % on 2nd Serve | 65% | 47% |
| Break points | 2/9 | 0/2 |
“We kind of played in two different conditions, from the first set to the second.
“The second, you know, full shade, the lights on, no wind.
“The time of day we started, 4PM, there’s usually a bit of wind here in Dubai, so we had to find solutions, not aim for the perfect serve, or the perfect game.
“I was able to mix up the speed, take some margin, make him miss, and it paid off in the first set, and I think the level was clinical for both of us on the serving.
“In the second set it was tough to get breaking chances, and every time he came up with aces, it was kind of similar to the first-round match with [Zhang] Zhizhen, where you create chances, but you have to stay patient, because sometimes it’s just too good from your opponent.”
More often than not, it’s been ‘too good’ from Auger-Aliassime in 2026.
Whether he can keep that form up in the semifinals remains to be seen.
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