Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the ATP Dubai match.
Andrey Rublev has a strong record in Dubai. Two years ago, he claimed the title here, and last season, he reached the semifinals. The Russian enjoys playing in hot conditions and on fast courts, as demonstrated by his victory in Doha. His opponent in the first round will be Quentin Halys, who relies on a powerful serve and an aggressive playing style. Rublev faced the Frenchman last year and won (6:4, 7:5).
Quentin Halys
Halys is currently ranked 77th. In the Dubai qualifiers, Quentin defeated Yasutaka Utiyama (6:3, 7:6) and Pavel Kotov (7:6, 7:5), although both opponents are ranked outside the top 100. However, the Frenchman reached the final of the clay-court tournament in Gstaad and the third round at Wimbledon last year. In the current season, Halys has shown resilience, with only one out of seven matches having a total under 21.5 games, and that match was against Mubarak Zaid, who has no ATP ranking.
Andrey Rublev
After a slow start to the season, Rublev unexpectedly won the tournament in Doha. The Russian dropped only five break points in his last tournament and allowed his opponent to break twice in only one match. Despite the title in Qatar, Rublev has already lost in the early rounds this season (Australian Open and Hong Kong). His record against players outside the top 50 is modest, with 17 wins in 30 matches.
Quentin Halys vs Andrey Rublev Prediction
Halys rarely loses in two short sets, while Rublev often needs time to settle into the match. The Frenchman has never lost without a fight this season, while Rublev has struggled with break points, even against Alexander Bublik (6:3, 6:4). Therefore, we recommend betting on Total Over 21.5.
