Karen Khachanov and Andrey Rublev replace Daniil Medvedev and Gael Monfils at Mubadala World Tennis Championship

Russian players make their returns to the Abu Dhabi tournament this week

Karen Khachanov, left, and Andrey Rublev, right, are teammates for Russia in the Davis Cup. Reuters

Karen Khachanov and Andrey Rublev will make their second appearances at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship this week as replacements for Daniil Medvedev and Gael Monfils.

Khachanov, the world No 17, and fellow Russian Rublev made their MWTC debuts in 2018 and 2017 respectively, and will be back in Abu Dhabi for the three-day tournament's 12th edition starting Thursday.

“I can’t wait to return to the Mubadala World Tennis Championship and to Abu Dhabi after a great experience last year," said Khachanov, who will face Chung Hyeon in the second match on Day 1, with the winner progressing to face world No 2 and defending MWTC champion Novak Djokovic on Friday.

"The weather is fantastic and the fans really know their tennis. The setup is superb, the crowd can really get involved, and it also offers the perfect opportunity to get the new season off and running with some hard matches."

Rublev will compete in the first match on Thursday against ATP Finals champion Stefanos Tsitsipas. The winner will then go on to face world No 1 Rafael Nadal in Friday's semi-finals.

Rublev will be looking to use MWTC as a springboard for the 2020 season having enjoyed a successful 2019 campaign, during which he climbed back up the rankings from No 100 to 23rd after an injury-disrupted 2018.

"I was fortunate enough to experience this championship a couple of years ago," Rublev, 22, said. "With a very strong lineup, it's an opportunity to start the season with very competitive matches.

"The people of Abu Dhabi are great and I’m looking forward to catching up with old friends and making new ones."

Medvedev's withdrawal comes after the US Open finalist won the inaugural Diriyah Tennis Cup in Saudi Arabia last weekend.

“I was really looking forward to making my debut in Abu Dhabi, so it is with deep regret that I have had to withdraw through injury," the world No 5 said. "I hope to make the trip in the future, and I wish everyone a hugely successful championship."

World No 10 Monfils has also been forced out of MWTC due to injury, ending his hopes of a second tournament appearance after a nine-year absence.

“I always enjoy coming to Abu Dhabi and was excited to be playing there once again," the Frenchman said. "Due to injury, that’s not going to be possible, but I hope to see you all soon.”

As well as the men's quarter-final matches, the one-off women's match will also be contested on Day 1 at Zayed Sports City's International Tennis Centre.

Entering its third edition, this year's match will feature five-time grand slam champion Maria Sharapova and Australian No 2 Ajla Tomljanovic.

Thursday's action is scheduled to start at 4pm with Tsitsipas v Rublev. Khachanov's match against Chung will then follow at 6pm, before Sharapova faces Tomljanovic at 8pm.