Tsitsipas beats Auger-Aliassime to win Dubai final

Stefanos Tsitsipas beat Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor 6-4 6-4 in the semi-finals in Dubai on Friday

Stefanos Tsitsipas secured a maiden ATP 500 title with a straight-set victory over Felix Auger-Aliassime in the final of the Dubai Tennis Championships.

The 26-year-old Greek produced a strong performance to beat his in-form Canadian opponent 6-3 6-3.

The fourth seed had reached the final of the tournament twice before, losing to Novak Djokovic in 2019 and then again to Roger Federer a year later.

Saturday's win was world number 11 Tsitsipas' 12th tour-level title, and the biggest outdoor hard-court trophy of his career.

He defeated 24-year-old Auger-Aliassime - who is leading the ATP Tour this season with 16 match wins and two titles - in one hour and 28 minutes, and will return to the top 10 of the world rankings on Monday for the first time since May 2024.

"It's a big relief that I'm able to hold that trophy after the third attempt," said Tsitsipas.

"It's something that I had in the back of my mind, and I'm happy to say I accomplished it.

"To be owning a spot in the top 10 is definitely one of the greatest feelings a tennis player can experience.

"It comes with hard work and sacrifices, but I'm happy that I'm in a position where I can really celebrate."

Elsewhere, Britain's Henry Patten and his partner Harri Heliovaara from Finland squandered four championship points before losing in the men's doubles final.

The world number one-ranked pair were beaten 3-6 7-6 (12-10) 10-8 by India's Yuki Bhambri and Alexei Popyrin of Australia who were playing together for the first time.

Patten and Heliovaara, the Wimbledon and Australian Open champions, had been chasing their sixth tour-level title.

Meanwhile, in Acapulco, Czech player Tomas Machac claimed his first ATP Tour title with victory in the Mexican Open.

The world number 25, who won mixed doubles gold at the Paris Olympics, beat Spain's Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 7-6(6) 6-2 in the decider.

Machac becomes the third player from his country to win an ATP 500 title, following Tomas Berdych and Radek Stepanek.

The Spaniard has now lost three finals on the tour, including at the Delray Beach Open last month.