Andrey Rublev and Stefanos Tsitsipas will be squaring off for the 13th time in their careers when they collide in the Qatar ExxonMobil Open quarterfinals on Thursday.
The head-to-head series is all tied up at 6-6 (Tsitsipas leads it 6-5 on the main tour). Shockingly, they have not faced each other since 2022 — when Tsitsipas won a clay-court meeting in Madrid before they split a pair of indoor hard-court encounters.
This should be another fun one, because both guys have generally played great in the Middle East throughout their careers. More of the same has continued this week in Doha; Rublev secured a quarterfinal spot by beating Jesper de Jong and Fabian Marozsan in straight sets, while Tsitsipas defeated Moez Echargui and Daniil Medvedev in straights.
When they are both at their best, Tsitsipas is superior — after all, this is a former world No. 3 and two-time Grand Slam finalist we are talking about. If the Greek brings the same level that he showcased against Medvedev on Wednesday, he should be able to squeak out a hard-fought win.
Pick: Tsitsipas in 3
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