TennisSection previews the 2022 Dubai Open as Andrey Rublev takes on Dan Evans in the first round on Tuesday, February 22nd, 2022.
Andrey Rublev ensured he wasn’t leaving Marseille empty-handed. The Russian will arrive at the Dubai Open on the back of his first title of the season, but will the second seed be in pole position to challenge at the Middle East, particularly when he takes on Dan Evans right off the bat?
Andrey Rublev, to put it mildly, has finally managed to shake the monkey off his back. The Russian was desperately trying to win his first title of the season, that the thought of it, had started to affect his game. Rublev was under constant pressure in the last fortnight. Matches that Russian ought to win even with two gears had become somewhat of a stumbling block. Rublev scraped a few wins in Marseille en route to the final, especially against Richard Gasquet. But that is the quality of a champion, an apt reflection of what separates the best from the decent. And it was justified, with Rublev beating Felix Auger-Aliassime in another thrilling match in the finals. Rublev will be the number two seed in Dubai where he has not lost before the quarterfinals stage in each of his last two appearances in the main draw. Can he maintain that record when he takes on Dan Evans?
Dan Evans might fancy his chances of springing an upset. Andrey Rublev’s fitness levels will certainly be put to the test. The Briton has once again demonstrated his class, compiling a 7-3 record for the season. But last week’s Round of 16 exit in Doha must have stung a bit. Evans was the clear favorite to beat Davidovich Fokina. And despite leading by a set, he completely lost control of the match. He will have a chance to redeem himself at this week’s Dubai Open.
Dan Evans has a surprising 2-1 lead over Andrey Rublev in their head-to-head. All three matches were contested on hard courts in 2020. The Briton has won the last two including their quarterfinal bout at the Dubai Open that year. Rublev is the oddsmakers favorite to win on Tuesday, but there is the likelihood he might be caught cold after his exertions in Marseille. And given the court craft that Evans has at his disposal, he could test Rublev’s patience.
Free Tennis Pick and Prediction: Dan Evans in 3 sets.
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