Stefanos Tsitsipas underlined his title credentials for the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships by winning the Marseille Open on Sunday.
The 7-5, 7-6 victory over Mikhail Kukushkin in the final moves him up to No 11 in the new ATP world rankings published on Monday morning.
The Greek did not drop a set all week and arrives in Dubai full of confidence for his bid to win back-to-back ATP titles.
Tsitsipas, who won the NextGen title last season, has continued his sharp rise in 2019, having come from a set down to beat defending champion Roger Federer at the Australian Open in January in the fourth round.
The 20 year old would go on to reach the semi-finals, losing to Rafael Nadal, but his searing groundstrokes and willingness to be brave and go for winners from all angles made him a hit with fans across the world.
Now the UAE will see if he can maintain his momentum.
This is Tsitsipas's second time in Dubai. He reached the quarter-finals 12 months ago, but with more experience will expect to be a serious contender this year.
He is the No 5 seed and will start his challenge against Australian Matthew Ebden.
Robin Haase or Egor Gerasimov are possible second round opponents, with No 1 seed Kei Nishikori the scheduled quarter-final opponent if the draw goes to form.
And a potential rematch with Federer? We will have to wait until the final for that tantilizing prospect.
