With 15 matches on the slate on a packed day three at the ATP Dubai Tennis Championships, there should be plenty of entertaining tennis in the UAE. As always, we here at LWOT will be offering our predictions for every match on the slate, including Dominic Thiem vs Lloyd Harris and Roberto Bautista Agut vs Matthew Ebden. But who will secure their spot in the third round?
ATP Dubai Tennis Championships Day Three Predictions
Lorenzo Sonego vs Bernabe Zapata Miralles
Head-to-head: Sonego 2-0 Zapata Miralles
It has been a largely disappointing start to the season for Lorenzo Sonego. The Italian has won just three matches so far and threw away a two-set advantage in the second round at the Australian Open, crashing out at the hands of the veteran Feliciano Lopez. But the 17th seed, who enjoyed a first-round bye in Dubai, has what looks like a winnable opener on paper against Bernabe Zapata Miralles, who he has beaten in both of their previous meetings.
That said, the Spaniard is in good form. He impressed in coming through the qualifying before scoring just the second tour-level win of his career at John Millman’s expense. If he can play as well as he did in his 6-4 6-4 win over the Australian, he will almost certainly be competitive here. Indeed, with Sonego likely to be short of confidence after a string of first-round losses in 2021 and Zapata Miralles enjoying one of the best weeks of his career, the stage might just be set for the Spaniard to spring another surprise.
Prediction: Zapata Miralles in 3
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Pablo Carreno Busta vs Marton Fucsovics
Head-to-head: first meeting
This might just be one of the matches of day three at the ATP Dubai Tennis Championships. With both Pablo Carreno Busta and Marton Fucsovics well-established at the top of the men’s game, it is a surprise that it is their first meeting, but one suspects that they will both be familiar with the other’s game. Fucsovics will be looking to continue his good form, with the Hungarian having reached the final at the ATP Rotterdam Open as well as the quarterfinals in Doha last week.
Injury forced him out of that match, but he looked sharp in getting the better of Vasek Pospisil in three sets in the first round in Dubai. Pablo Carreno Busta, meanwhile, has not played since retiring in the second round at the Australian Open. And whilst the Spaniard is a fine player, it looks like a tall order for him to take on and beat Fucsovics in his first match after a fairly lengthy absence, particularly in conditions that should favour the more aggressively minded Hungarian.
Prediction: Fucsovics in 3
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Lorenzo Giustino vs Aljaz Bedene
Head-to-head: first meeting
World #163 Lorenzo Giustino will be looking to become the latest lucky loser to reap the rewards of their good fortune when he steps on to court to face Aljaz Bedene. But the Italian does look to be facing a stern challenge here. He was handily beaten by Mikhail Kukushkin in the second round of qualifying, winning just four games, and he is relatively inexperienced at tour-level, having won just one ATP match and played only six.
Bedene, meanwhile, impressed in getting the better of Yuki Bhambri in his ATP Dubai Tennis Championships opener. The Slovenian was not at his best in the first set, but rallied to complete a creditable 3-6 6-1 6-4 win and it is hard to see where his opponent will hurt him in this match. Giustino is a good mover and possesses a useful forehand, but he is short of firepower off the ground. On a court that plays as quickly as the surface in Dubai, that looks like a potentially fatal shortcoming.
Prediction: Bedene in 2
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