Nick Kyrgios will get right back in action following his title run in Marseille when he takes the court against Martin Klizan on Tuesday in Dubai. First-round action is also wrapping up with Stan Wawrinka vs. Sergiy Stakhovsky.
(7) Martin Klizan vs. Nick Kyrgios
The two most recent champions on the eastern side of the Atlantic Ocean will be going head-to-head when Klizan and Kyrgios square off for the first time in their careers on Tuesday at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. Klizan went on an improbable run to the Rotterdam title two weeks ago, saving match points against Roberto Bautista Agut and Nicolas Mahut before coming back from a set down to upset Gael Monfils in the final. The Slovak is up to No. 24 in the world, which earned him the No. 7 seed in Dubai.
Kyrgios endured no such marathons en route to his first-ever winner’s trophy last week in Marseille, as the 20-year-old Australian completely dominated the field. He held all 47 of his service games and was pushed only to one tiebreaker by Marin Cilic in the championship match. Kyrgios preceded that result with beatdowns of Vasek Pospisil, Teymuraz Gabashvili, Richard Gasquet, and Tomas Berdych. The minimal time spent on court should help the world No. 33 maintain his energy and momentum in Dubai. Moreover, Klizan would prefer a slower surface on which to contest this matchup.
Pick: Kyrgios in 2
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Sergiy Stakhovsky vs. (2) Stan Wawrinka
It will be a rematch of an entertaining contest from last week in Marseille when Wawrinka and Stakhovsky meet again on Tuesday. Wawrinka took a 2-1 lead in the head-to-head series when he saved two match points to survive 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(8) and reach the quarterfinals. The two veterans previously faced each other at that same Marseille event in 2015, when Stakhovsky pulled off a 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 upset. Wawrinka’s first win over the Ukrainian came in the form of a 6-7(6), 7-6(2), 6-4, 6-2 decision at the 2012 U.S. Open.
The fourth-ranked Swiss could really use a confidence-building result in advance of more important tournaments in Indian Wells and Miami. Since capturing a fourth straight title in Chennai, he has suffered final-set losses to Milos Raonic in the fourth round of the Australian Open and to Benoit Paire in the Marseille quarters. Stakhovsky has not defeated anyone other than Wawrinka this season, as the world No. 92 is saddled with a disappointing 1-4 record. This will be an even tougher test for the underdog because he does his best work on either grass of fast indoor hard courts. The Dubai surface appears to be playing on the quick side, but it should still help Wawrinka finish the job in simpler fashion that what transpired last week.
Pick: Wawrinka in 2
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