Czech sixth seed knocks out Sinner to set up semi-final clash with Arthur Fils

Jakub Mensik prevented Jannik Sinner from reaching another final as he knocked the world number two out of the Qatar Open quarter-finals.

The sixth seed from the Czech Republic edged the first set and, although Sinner levelled, 20-year-old Mensik took the decider to win 7-6 (7-3) 2-6 6-3.

That ended a run of 22 wins from 23 matches for Sinner, with his only defeat coming against Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open semi-finals last month.

The 24-year-old Italian reached 10 finals in 2025, winning the Australian Open and Wimbledon titles, but was upset by world number 16 Mensik in Thursday’s first meeting in Doha.

He will now face unseeded Frenchman Arthur Fils, who beat Mensik’s compatriot Jiri Lehecka 6-3, 6-3, for the chance to play in a fourth ATP final and his second in 2026, having won last month’s Auckland Open for a second career title.

World number one Carlos Alcaraz will meet defending champion Andrey Rublev in the other semi-final after both won their last-eight ties.

Top seed Alcaraz came from behind to beat Karen Khachanov 6-7 (3-7) 6-4 6-3 and stretch his winning start to the year to 10 matches, having won the Australian Open to become the youngest man to complete a career Grand Slam.

Next up for the 22-year-old Spaniard is Rublev, with the Russian fifth seed having beaten Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3, 7-6 (7-2).

British pair Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool also have a chance to retain their crown, with one of their seven doubles titles from 2025 coming at the Qatar Open.

They beat compatriots Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski to win last year’s title in Doha, and there will be three Britons in the 2026 final.

Top seeds Cash and Glasspool booked their return after beating the French pair of Quentin Halys and Pierre-Hugues Herbert 6-2 6-3 in the semi-finals.

They will now face the third seeds, compatriot Henry Patten and Finland’s Harri Heliovaara, who claimed a 7-5, 6-4 win over Italy’s Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori.

After a string of withdrawals at the Dubai Tennis Championships, four of the top seven seeds have reached the semi-finals.

Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina recovered from a set down to beat Croatia’s Antonia Ruzic, who reached the last eight after qualifying as a lucky loser and upsetting Britain’s Emma Raducanu.

The world number nine won 3-6, 6-,2 6-3 on Thursday and will face American Coco Gauff for a place in the final in the UAE.

The third seed needed just 69 minutes to get past Alexandra Eala, claiming a 6-0 6-2 victory over the unseeded Filipino.

Jessica Pegula needed three sets to overcome Denmark’s Clara Tauson, with the fourth seed coming through 6-3, 2-,6 6-4.

She will now face fellow American Amanda Anisimova after the second seed fought back to beat fifth seed and defending champion Mirra Andreeva 2-6 7-5 7-6 (7-4).