ATP 500 Dubai 1/16-Finals
Lehecka – Humbert: 25.02.2025 Time TBA
H2H: first meeting
Jiri Lehecka has won three of his last five matches. Last week in Doha, he reached the semifinals, losing against Draper in three tight sets. En route to the semifinals, Lehecka upset Alcaraz and Dimitrov. Jiri hopes for a solid result this week to get into the top 20. At the beginning of the season, Lehecka won the title in Brisbane, winning against Opelka in the final. It is his third appearance in Dubai. Last season, Lehecka reached the quarterfinals, losing against Bublik.
Ugo Humbert has won five straight matches. His last match was in Marseille, where he played on indoor hard courts. Ugo won the title with the help of the crowd. He defeated Medjedovic in the final in straight sets. The Frenchman thrives on fast, hard courts. He is the defending champion in Dubai. In his debut campaign, Humbert won the title against Bublik in the final.
Best Bet to Make
According to the bookies, this will be a 50-50 matchup, and we agree. Both players are in great form. Ugo and Jiri are solid servers who love to play on fast courts. They will hold their service games easily. We expect a tight match that could go either way, with a possible three sets.
That being said, over games is a value bet.
Value bet/ the best odds: over 24.5 games @1.83 @bet365
Bublik – Auger-Aliassime: 25.02.2025 Time TBA
H2H: 2-2
Alexander Bublik has lost four of his last five matches. Last week in Doha, Bublik lost in the opening round against Rublev in straight sets, as we predicted. Once again, Alexander looked unmotivated on the court. He made many unforced errors and could not find his rhythm. So far this season, Alexander struggled with his form. He has played eight matches and holds a losing 2-6 record. Last season in Dubai, Bublik finished as a runner-up, losing against Humbert in the final.
Felix Auger-Aliassime has won three of his last five matches. Last week in Doha, Felix reached the semifinals, losing against Rublev in three tight sets. A few weeks ago, Felix won the title in Montpellier, winning against Kovacevic in the final. At the beginning of the season, Felix won the title in Adelaide, winning against Korda in the final. So far this season, Felix has been one of the most consistent players on tour, winning two ATP titles already. It is his second appearance in Dubai. In his debut campaign, 2023, Felix lost in the second round against Sonego in straight sets. Around this time last season, he played in Acapulco, losing in the opening round against Cobolli.
Best Bet to Make
According to the bookies, we agree that Felix is the favorite in this matchup. He is in great form and thrives on hard courts. On the other hand, we have Bublik, who is unmotivated and in terrible form. We expect Felix to dominate from the start until the end and win easily in straight sets.
That being said, Auger-Aliassime winning in straight sets is a value bet.
Value bet/ the best odds. Felix Auger-Aliassime winning 2-0 @1.83 @bet365
Main Photo Credit: Peter van den Berg-USA TODAY Sports
