Dominic Thiem will take on shock Australian Open semifinalist Aslan Karatsev for a spot in the Doha quarterfinals on Wednesday in Doha. Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut faces in-form Kazakh Alexander Bublik.
(1) Dominic Thiem vs. Aslan Karatsev
The Australian Open offered its fair share of surprises, but Aslan Karatsev offered the biggest surprise of all. The world No. 114 came up through three rounds of qualifying and made his way all the way to the semifinals, where he lost to eventual champion Novak Djokovic. He spent much of his 2020 season on the Challenger tour.
Dominic Thiem won his first Grand Slam title at the U.S. Open last fall, but he has limped into 2021 a bit. The Austrian was knocked out of the Aussie Open in the round of 16 by Grigor Dimitrov. Shockingly, it’s Karatsev who is in better form. The Russian was red hot in Melbourne, dispatching the likes of Diego Schwartzman, Felix Auger-Aliassime, and Grigor Dimitrov.
Karatsev is going to be a tricky second-round opponent. His ranking has shot to No. 45 in the world–a meteoric rise to be sure–but it leaves him unseeded and a dangerous lurker in any draw. Thiem, who has excellent hard-court credentials, is still the favorite in Wednesday’s match. Karatsev hasn’t played a tournament since Melbourne; he’ll be vulnerable to post-slam letdown.
Cheryl pick: Thiem in 3
Ricky pick: Thiem in 3
(5) Roberto Bautista Agut vs. Alexander Bublik
Alexander Bublik has really hit his stride so far in 2021. The world No. 44 has already been in two finals: Antalya and Singapore. It has been a mixed bag for Roberto Bautista Agut. He absorbed a first-round loss at the Australian Open at the hands of Radu Albot, but he followed that disappointment up with a run to the final in Montpellier. He then lost again in the first round in Rotterdam.
Bautista Agut will still be the favorite despite his inconsistency. The Spaniard plays well on hard courts and except for a win over Alexander Zverev in Rotterdam, Bublik doesn’t have wins over top players on his resume. This should be somewhat of a routine match for the fifth seed.
Cheryl pick: Bautista Agut in 2
Ricky pick: Bautista Agut in 2
WWW?
Bublik has a LOT of talent, but RBA will wear him down….RBA in 2; ….and Thiem in 2.
thiem was in ² ,but he choked very hard ,even tiebreaks arent safe anymore,when your bet looks settled