Dubai Championships: Medvedev vs Coric Tennis Prediction & Pick

TennisSection previews the 2023 Dubai Championships as Daniil Medvedev takes on Borna Coric in the quarterfinal on Thursday, March 2, 2023.

Daniil Medvedev is on a roll after winning his 15th match of the season. But could he have enough gas left in the tank to complete a three-peat this week at the Dubai Championships? Well, Borna Coric could have something to say about that.

Daniil Medvedev extended his winning streak to 11 matches. Since losing to Sebastian Korda at last month’s Australian Open, the Russian has gone on a tear in February, picking up titles in Rotterdam and Doha, and remains on course to complete a three-peat before the start of the March Masters in North America. Medvedev dismissed Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik 6-4 6-2 in an accomplished performance. He dropped just five points behind his first serve. Next up for him is Croatia’s Borna Coric as he aims to reach the semifinal of the 2023 Dubai Championships and set up a potential meeting against top seed Novak Djokovic.

Borna Coric, for his part, came through a grueling second-round match at the Dubai Championships, beating in-form Thanasi Kokkinakis 6-7 6-3 7-5 in two hours and 55 minutes. While expending so much energy before taking on Medvedev is hardly ideal preparation, Coric will be delighted to reach his second quarterfinal of the season after a lackluster showing in Australia.

Borna Coric leads Daniil Medvedev 4-1 in their head-to-head, although they haven’t played each other since 2019. Coric’s embryonic years on the senior tour were highly successful. As for Medvedev not so much, which is why the Croat has dominated this matchup in the past. But the roles have reversed and Medvedev has since taken his time to adjust and become an elite player, as Coric battled injuries. Medvedev has got his mojo back after a turbulent 2022 season. Although fatigue could be a factor, Medvedev has actually played very short matches in the past week. The Russian should turn the tables here.