It’s the third day at the ATP Dubai 500-level event, and many more mouth-watering contests are in the offing. Defending champion Daniil Medvedev continues his quest to retain the title while brilliant Czech teenager Jakub Mensik looks to build on his impressive season. We at LWOT look at who’s capable of earning a quarterfinal spot. We also predict the rest of the day’s matches in a separate article.
ATP Dubai Day 3 Predictions
Andrey Rublev vs Arthur Cazaux
Head–to–Head: Rublev 1 vs 0 Cazaux
Second seed Andrey Rublev has been unconvincing in his last few matches. Jakub Mensik upset him in Doha before requiring a comeback win over Zhizhen Zhang in the previous roundnhere. However, he looked more assured in the latter stages of the match–dishing out 18 aces and a mammoth 38 winners. He’ll be hoping to keep this rhythm as he challenges Arthur Cazaux, one of the most in-form players on tour this season.
The young Frenchman is on an impressive 14-2 record for the season and he went past Laslo Djere, Holger Rune, and Tallon Griekspoor in Melbourne before a gallant loss to runner-up Daniil Medvedev.
Upset bells are up in this but Rublev’s record in Dubai cannot be ignored. He’s played in the last two finals and will be looking to claim a second title here. Expect Cazaux to nick a set in a tiebreaker but Rublev will dig deep to secure another win over his opponent.
Prediction: Rublev in 3
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina vs Jakub Mensik
Head–to–Head: Mensik 1 vs 0 Fokina
Jakub Mensik’s star continues to shine in what has been a tremendous early season for him. The Czech teenager shrugged off the disappointment of losing the Doha final to Karen Khachanov to kickstart his debut at ATP Dubai with a superb comeback win over Borna Coric. He churned out 18 aces and an incredible 43 winners to secure his 17th win in 21 matches this season including a straight sets defeat of his Spanish opponent last week in Doha.
Alejandro Fokina will pose a stern challenge but Mensik is in the groove and he should run over this challenge for the second time in as many weeks.
Prediction: Mensik in 3
Hubert Hurkacz vs Christopher O’ Connell
Head–to–Head: Hurkacz 1 vs 0 O’Connell
Hubert Hurkacz was involved in yet another 39-game match to claim a hard-fought win over Jan-Lennard Struff in the previous round. He had gone the whole hog in his loss to Tallon Griekspoor in Rotterdam but he found a bit of luck this time. The Pole seems to be relying heavily on his serve and if Christopher O’Connell can find a way around it, this match is his for the taking.
Prediction: O’Connell in 3
Daniil Medvedev vs Lorenzo Sonego
Head–to–Head: Medvedev 2 vs 0 Sonego
Defending champion Daniil Medvedev struggled to get past a determined Alexander Shevchenko to stage a winning return to the scene of his triumph last year. The Kazakh had memorably taken a set off the top seed in Adelaide last year and was keen on a repeat performance. However, Medvedev held his nerve to close out the match in two sets and will face Lorenzo Sonego in what should be another routine win for him.
Prediction: Medvedev in 2
Main Photo Credit: Mike Frey-USA TODAY Sports
