Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the WTA 1000 Dubai match.
World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka returns to Dubai, a tournament where she has never progressed beyond the quarter-finals. She faces Veronika Kudermetova, who gained early momentum after a three-set win over Ekaterina Alexandrova in round one. Sabalenka will be eager to avenge her two previous defeats on grass against Kudermetova, but the Russian has the tools to make this a competitive match.
Aryna Sabalenka
Despite her dominant status, Sabalenka often struggles in early rounds following Grand Slam success. She has won 85% of her hard-court matches in 2025 (11-2), but her post-Slam performances tend to be inconsistent. In 7 of her 12 matches this season, the total games have exceeded 18.5.
Veronika Kudermetova
Kudermetova is regaining form and has climbed back into the top 50. In the first round, she battled past Ekaterina Alexandrova in three sets (3:6, 6:4, 6:3). Her hard-court record this season is solid (12-6), and she has covered a +5.5 game handicap in 83% of her matches. Like Sabalenka, Kudermetova often plays long matches—4 of her last 5 have surpassed 22.5 games.
Aryna Sabalenka vs Veronika Kudermetova Prediction
Sabalenka rarely cruises through early rounds after Grand Slams, and Kudermetova is capable of pushing this match into a competitive battle. Their last three encounters have all exceeded 20.5 games, so backing the over is a strong option.
