The Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships have reached the Round of 16 in what is a loaded draw in the capital of the United Arab Emirates. 10 of the top 16 seeds will be in action on day three, including world No. 1 Iga Swiatek. Since her loss in Melbourne, Swiatek has dropped seven total games in four matches. Can Liudmila Samsonova find a way past the best player on Tour? We have predictions for every day 4 match in Dubai.
ATP Dubai Day 3 Predictions
Jessica Pegula vs Ana Bogdan
Head-to-Head: Pegula 2-0 Bogdan
Jessica Pegula has played the best tennis of her career over the past 15 months. She holds a 12-3 record in 2023 and has proven her meddle as one of the best hard-court players in the world. She takes on 30-year-old Ana Bogdan, who has looked in fantastic form during her time in Dubai. Bogdan advanced through qualifying and the first two rounds of this event without dropping a set. It is a nice bounce-back week for the Romanian after starting the season 1-5. I believe Pegula will be able to push Bogdan around the court, forcing her to come up with a load of winners if she wants to keep pace with the American.
Prediction: Pegula in 2
Karolina Pliskova vs Anhelina Kalinina
Head-to-Head: Pliskova 1-0 Kalinina
Karolina Pliskova and Anhelina Kalinina square off for the second time with a spot in the Dubai Tennis Championships on the line. Despite both players being ranked inside the world’s top 35, neither was seeded in what is a loaded 1000-level event. Pliskova is coming off a dominant 6-1 6-2 victory over Maria Sakkari. It was one of the best performances in recent memory from the former world No. 1. She is 10-3 in her last 13 matches and one of the top forces on tour when she is in this form. While Kalinina has also looked solid through two rounds in Dubai, she has spent nearly six hours on-court and worked hard for her wins. Pliskova is too much of a force on a hard court when she is striking the ball this well.
Prediction: Pliskova in 2
Victoria Azarenka vs Madison Keys
Head-to-Head: Azarenka 4-0 Keys
Victoria Azarenka and Madison Keys no each other well. They have squared off four previous times, with Azarenka getting the better of the American in all four matches. Azarenka bested Keys 1-6 6-2 6-1 last month in Melbourne. Both players have had strong showings in Dubai, including Keys’ recent straight-set victory over No. 4 seed Caroline Garcia. These two will produce fireworks as both players bring incredible power to a hard court. I am going to fade the head-to-head and give the advantage to Keys in this one. She should feel much more rested than Azarenka, who is coming off a nearly three-hour match in round two.
Prediction: Keys in 3
Iga Swiatek vs Liudmila Samsonova
Head-to-Head: Swiatek 1-0 Samsonova
Since falling in the round of 16 at the Australian Open, Iga Swiatek has won four consecutive matches without dropping a set. In fact, she has dropped just seven games in those four matches. 24-year-old Liudmila Samsonova gets the unfortunate task of drawing Swiatek in round three in Dubai. Samsonova reached the final in Abu Dhabi two weeks ago and typically plays her best tennis on hard courts. That said, there is no reason to suspect Swiatek comes back down to earth in this match.
Prediction: Swiatek in 2
Main Photo Credit: Mike Frey-USA TODAY Sports
