Half of the eight seeds are still alive in what was a depleted Dubai field even before the tournament started. One of those four is Roberto Bautista Agut, who will go up against Borna Coric on Thursday. Stefanos Tsitsipas and Malek Jaziri are also aiming for a spot in the semifinals.
(3) Roberto Bautista Agut vs. Borna Coric
Bautista Agut and Coric will be squaring off for the fourth time in their careers when they collide in the quarterfinals of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Thursday. The head-to-head series stands at 3-1 in favor of the Spaniard, but Coric won their only previous encounter 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(1) two years ago in Chennai. Bautista Agut’s victories have all come on clay; twice in 2015 via respective 6-3, 6-4 decisions (Umag and Hamburg) and 6-2, 6-3, 6-3 at the 2016 French Open.
Coric will be happy to contest another one on hard courts–especially in Dubai, where he made a run to the semifinals in 2015 before falling to Roger Federer. The 21-year-old Croat is one round away from matching that performance following straight-set beatdowns of Frenchmen Richard Gasquet and Benoit Paire. Bautista Agut has advanced this week by taking out Florian Mayer 6-3, 6-4 and Pierre-Hugues Herbert 6-4, 6-7(2), 6-1. The world No. 23 is still just 2-3 since capturing the Auckland in mid-January. With an edge in current form and playing at an event where he clearly feels good about his game, Coric should be able to pull off a slight upset.
Pick: Coric in 3
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(WC) Malek Jaziri vs. (WC) Stefanos Tsitsipas
It will be an all-wild card showdown when Tsitsipas and Jaziri go head-to-head for the first time in their careers on Thursday. This tournament marks Tsitsipas’ unofficial arrival at the ATP-level, where he had previously been 6-15 lifetime and 2-5 this season. To say the 19-year-old Greek has made the most of his Dubai wild card would be a gross understatement, with defeats of both Mikhail Kukushkin and Philipp Kohlschreiber in three sets to earn a place in the quarterfinals.
If any tournament is a “home” one for Jaziri, this it is–which is why he also picked up a wild card for direct entry into the main draw. The 117th-ranked Tunisian got the worst possible draw thereafter, but he opened with a 4-6, 7-5, 6-4 upset of No. 1 seed Grigor Dimitrov. Building on his biggest career win one day later, Jaziri turned in a stellar performance from start to finish in a 7-6(4), 7-6(3) victory over Robin Haase. The 34-year-old’s current level and relative experience may make him a slight favorite, and it does not hurt that he has played both of his matches on Centre Court whereas Tsitsipas has not yet appeared on the big stage.
Pick: Jaziri in 3
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WWW?
RBA in 2; Jaziri in 2. (and how did J beat D’trov??)
Absolutely shocking stuff from the umpire at the climax of the Jaziri v Tsitsipas match.
With Jaziri serving for the match at 5-3, 30-0 Tsitsipas lands a return on the baseline which Jaziri thinks is going long and half volleys into the net.
The line judge calls it out as the ball is hitting the net. Tsitsipas correctly challenges, only for the umpire to say the point should be replayed as it was not a late call.
The young man is understandably incredulous,reeling off some spot on lines like ‘What is he superman? Did he call it before it bounced?!’
A disgraceful standard of officiating for this level of competition.
Yep total BS
Just watching it again and I stand corrected. The half volley from Jaziri doesn’t hit the net…it’s already cleared the net when the call comes!