Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the ATP Dubai match.
In the ATP tournament in Dubai, Matteo Berrettini will face Christopher O’Connell, who advanced after Grigor Dimitrov withdrew. Their only previous meeting in Shanghai saw the Australian lose in two tiebreaks.
Matteo Berrettini
After a series of injuries, Matteo Berrettini has returned to form, winning three ATP 250 titles in recent seasons (Marrakech, Gstaad, Kitzbühel). In Doha, he reached the quarter-finals and defeated Novak Djokovic, while in Dubai he defeated Gaël Monfils (6:4, 6:2). Berrettini won 90% of his first-serve points and recorded nine aces in that match, bringing his total to 77 aces in five games this year.
Christopher O’Connell
World No. 75 Christopher O’Connell advanced to the next round following Grigor Dimitrov’s withdrawal. In the only set he played, his first-serve success rate was 53%. Since 2021, O’Connell has participated in Dubai on several occasions but has never advanced beyond the second round. In his only meeting with Berrettini, he lost in straight sets (6:7, 6:7), also recording a low first-serve percentage of 60%.
Matteo Berrettini vs Christopher O’Connell Prediction
Berrettini is in strong form, while O’Connell advanced without playing. The Italian reached the later stages in Doha, losing only to the finalist, Jack Draper. Considering the performance gap between the players, we predict a 2:0 win for Berrettini.
