It should be an entertaining if slightly unorthodox final at the ATP Dubai Tennis Championships with Ugo Humbert set to take on Alexander Bublik. As always, we here at LWOT will be offering our prediction for the final, as well as the action in Acapulco and Santiago. But who will lift the title in the UAE?
ATP Dubai Final Prediction
Ugo Humbert vs Alexander Bublik
Head-to-head: first meeting
Bublik’s peformances this week have been slightly overshadowed by the final moments of his semifinal clash with Andrey Rublev, but the Kazakh has had a very good week. He opened his account by rallying past Tomas Machac and has since added wins over Tallon Griekspoor, Jiri Lehecka and the aforementioned Rublev. It has not all been straightforward, but he has held his nerve when he has needed to.
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Humbert, meanwhile, started his week by beating his countryman Gael Monfils in an entertaining three-set clash before dismissing Andy Murray in straight sets. That set up a quarterfinal clash with third seed Hubert Hurkacz. The Pole came very close to winning in two, but Humbert battled hard to stay alive in a second-set tiebreak that he ultimately won 10-8, before breaking Hurkacz’s formidable serve in the decider to complete a 3-6 7-6 6-3.
He then delivered his best performance of the week so far to beat top seed Daniil Medvedev in straight sets in the last four. If he can maintain the level he displayed in beating the Russian, this may well be his day. Bublik’s powerful serve and attacking style of play should ensure it stays competitive in quick conditions, but Humbert has that much more quality and can deliver more consistently from the baseline. In a close contest, that may well prove to be the difference.
Prediction: Humbert in 3
Main photo credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
