ATP Brisbane Final Prediction

Holger Rune vs Grigor Dimitrov

Head-to-head: 1-1

With the dip Holger Rune had after Wimbledon last year, it’s easy to forget that until then it actually had been a very solid season for him with consistent Slam runs and two finals at the ATP 1000 level. He then lost his way when some injury issues came along, but was back to being a contender in events like Paris and the ATP Finals. Rune had a tricky path to the championship match at ATP Brisbane, with upset specialists like Alexander Shevchenko and Roman Safiullin in his way.

Grigor Dimitrov owns the most match wins in this tournament’s history (22) and met Andy Murray in a clash of the only two former champions in the draw in Round 1. After barely surviving that, he went on to dominate the next three matches and show that he hasn’t lost his late 2023 momentum at all. Last year Dimitrov managed to stop a five-year final drought with runner-up appearances in Geneva and Paris. Now he’s seeking his first title in over six years (ATP Finals 2017).

Rune and Dimitrov are facing each other for the third time, with two prior meetings in the 2023 season. The Dane came back from a set down at Wimbledon, before losing to his opponent in Beijing (which was right around the end of the horrible patch he had in 2023). This match projects to be extremely close any way you look at it. Does the fact Dimitrov hasn’t won a title in ages become a bit of a burden? It might be enough to tip the scales slightly in Rune’s favor, but this is a true form of the day type of encounter.

Prediction: Rune in 3

Main Photo Credit: Mike Frey – USA TODAY Sports