World number five Dominic Thiem's late withdrawal from the semifinals of the Qatar Open has set the stage for finals between Frenchman Gael Monfils and Russian star Andrey Rublev.
The tournament's number one seed, just hours before his match against Monfils, announced that he had to pull out from the event because of illness.
"I have some bad news, due to some health conditions I have to cancel my start today. I am in bed with fever and there is almost no chance of a recovery until tonight", Thiem said on his official website.
He added, "Now I am focusing on Melbourne and being fit and prepared for the first Grand Slam of the year".
Earlier, Rublev defeated Argentine Guido Pella in the semi-finals.
Saturday's final will be Monfils' fourth Doha title match, having lost all the previous three.
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