Rublev battles back to keep Dubai title defence alive as Djokovic cruises into quarters

Andrey Rublev kept alive his title defence at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Wednesday, but the Russian admitted he has no idea how he managed to win.

Rublev was thoroughly outplayed in the first set by Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and found himself 1-6 down in the second-set tiebreak before mounting a remarkable comeback. The second seed went on a seven-point run while fending off five match points to win the set and later claimed the tiebreak in the decider to seal a hard-fought 1-6, 7-6, 7-6 win in just under two and a half hours.

It was the third time this season Rublev has battled back from the brink of defeat, having saved two match points against Holger Rune at the Australian Open and three against Tallon Griekspoor just last week at the Qatar Open.

"I don't know. This already happened for a third match this season," Rublev, 25, said. "I have no words. These matches, when it's over, and somehow you win them, it's always special.

"One time maybe you feel lucky, you feel super tight and emotional because you almost lose, and somehow you win it. When it happens a third time, you think now there is no chance, it is impossible, now it's over for sure.

"When you're three times lucky, almost last three tournaments – Australian Open, Doha and Dubai – it's like, how many more Christmas presents are there?"

Rublev's reward is a quarter-final meeting with Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp, a 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 winner over Sweden's Mikael Ymer. Should the world No 6 get past that, an intriguing match against either Alexander Zverev or Lorenzo Sonego awaits.

Zverev, seeded seventh, delivered a much-improved performance from his battling first-round win to defeat Australia's Christopher O'Connell 7-5, 6-4.

The German