It will be a rematch of the 2021 Qatar ExxonMobil Open final when Roberto Bautista Agut and Nikoloz Basilasvili battle at the same stage of the same event in 2022.
Basilashvili took the title with a 7-6(5), 6-2 victory, but Bautista Agut still leads the head-to-head series 3-2.
To say that the Georgian’s 2021 triumph in Doha came completely out of nowhere would be a gross understatement. He was 2-14 in his last 16 matches heading into that tournament with zero wins over opponents in the top 200 during that stretch. This time around Basilashvili was on a six-match losing streak going into Doha, but once again it has all turned around for him at what has to be his favorite spot on the tour. The world No. 22 is back in the final following defeats of Elias Ymer, Marton Fucsovics, and Arthur Rinderknech.
Of course, Bautista Agut also thrives in Doha. The 16th-ranked Spaniard 12-2 lifetime at this tournament and this his his third final appearance in four trips (including the title in 2018, when he knocked off Stan Wawrinka, Novak Djokovic, and Tomas Berdych). Bautista Agut dropped a grand total of three games against Andy Murray and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina to kick off this week before surviving a high-quality contest with Karen Khachanov 2-6, 6-3, 7-5 on Friday evening.
Even in Doha, you never know what you are going to get from Basilashvili on any given day. Bautista Agut has been the best player throughout the week and he is obviously far more reliable than his opponent. Look for the 33-year-old to get revenge for the 2021 result.
Pick: Bautista Agut in 2
WWW?
RBA in 3