The semifinal lineup at the ATP Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships will feature a mouthwatering encounter between two of the longest winning streaks in 2020.
Who will prevail? We share our thoughts.
ATP Dubai Semifinals Predictions
Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Dan Evans
Head-to-head: First meeting
Stefanos Tsitsipas weathered the Struff storm in a bruising battle to reach the semifinals. The ATP Finals champion needed to recall all his powers of recovery to beat the the German power-hitter, who seemed to tear the cover off the ball this week. Struff struck an astonishing 41 winners, but paid a heavy price for failing to convert a 40-0 lead on his serve with the score at 4-4 in the decider. Last year’s runner-up Tsitsipas pulled the rabbit out of the hat eventually and remains on course to reach a second final in Dubai.
He will come up against the in-form Dan Evans who scored the biggest upset at the Championships with his straight-sets win over Andrey Rublev. The British No.1 is finally delivering the results to match his undoubted talent, and his latest scalp – his fifth against a top-20 player this year – is so impressive that only Novak Djokovic can exceed it.
Regardless of Friday’s outcome, Evans is projected to crack the Top 30 for the first time in his career and Tsitsipas would be foolish to take him lightly. Against Rublev, Evans did exceptionally well in providing a moving target and the Russian just couldn’t find his rhythm in his shots. But Tsitsipas is marginally better than Rublev and the Greek plays with finesse rather than power, a perfect recipe for success against Evans.
Prediction: Tsitsipas in 2
Novak Djokovic vs Gael Monfils
Head-to-head: Djokovic 16-0 Monfils
Novak Djokovic’s 19-match winning streak (stretching back to the Davis Cup at the end of 2019) will be up against Gael Monfils’ 12-match winning streak in the semifinals of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. Djokovic, the four-time champion has steamrolled into the last four without dropping a set and barely breaking sweat.
Monfils has also been in terrific form and is on course to win a hatrick of titles this February. But we have to factor in the most important statistic in this one and that is Djokovic leading the series 16-0 in head-to-head. Although stranger things have happened, it is almost inconceivable that Monfils wins here.
Prediction: Djokovic in 2
Main Photo from Getty.
