Quentin Halys Stuns Choinski in Doha Thriller, One Win From Dubai Main Draw 2026

Quentin Halys Keeps Momentum Alive After Doha Exit, Eyes Dubai Main-Draw Spot Rising French talent Quentin Halys is wasting no time rebounding from his second-round loss to compatriot Arthur Fils at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open, a match that showcased blistering baseline exchanges before Fils closed it out 6-1, 7-6(7). Hard-court form still points upward for the 29-year-old Parisian. Halys owns a 10-5 record on the surface this season and has already scored a pair of Top-50 wins, boosting his live ranking to No. 63—just four spots shy of his career high. Dubai qualifying run Shifting straight from Doha to the Dubai Tennis Championships, Halys has powered through the opening qualifying round and now stands one victory away from a coveted ATP 500 main-draw berth. He will meet fellow Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in Monday’s final round after dispatching Christopher O’Connell in straights, saving 75 percent of break points behind an 80 percent first-serve success rate. Key matchup to watch If Halys seals qualification, an intriguing first-round showdown with baseline shot-maker Alexander Shevchenko could await; their head-to-head stands at 1-1, and early odds tilt narrowly toward the Frenchman thanks to his superior tie-break conversion this year. Why Halys is trending 1. Consistent serve-plus-forehand aggression generating highlight-reel winners on social media. 2. A career-best Australian Open third-round run last month that included a four-set tussle with world No. 3 Daniil Medvedev. 3. A realistic push toward cracking the Top 50 ahead of the spring European swing. What’s next • Sunday evening: final Dubai qualifying practice session on Court 3. • Monday: qualifying final vs Mpetshi Perricard (not before 4 p.m. local). • March: confirmed entry into the Indian Wells qualifying draw, where a main-draw debut would mark Halys’s first appearance at an ATP Masters 1000 on U.S. soil. Bottom line Quentin Halys is piecing together his most consistent season yet. A strong showing in Dubai could propel him into direct-entry territory for Roland Garros—right on schedule for a Frenchman determined to make noise on home clay in May.