Dubai R2 previews and predictions: Medvedev vs. Bublik, Rublev vs. Davidovich Fokina

Fellow Russian top-10 players Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev will aim for spots in the Dubai quarterfinals on Wednesday. Medvedev tries to continue his hot streak against Alexander Bublik, while Rublev awaits Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.

(3) Daniil Medvedev vs. Alexander Bublik

Medvedev briefly fell outside the top 10 due to recurring struggles in 2022 followed by an early loss at the Australian Open, but that didn’t last long. The 27-year-old is back where he belongs (now No. 7) and based on current form will probably be back in the top three sooner rather than later. Medvedev has reeled off two titles in a row at the ATP 500 in Rotterdam and the 250 in Doha. He is going for three trophies in three weeks at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, where he cruised past lucky loser Matteo Arnaldi 6-4, 6-2 on Tuesday.

Up next for the 2021 U.S. Open champion on Wednesday is Bublik, who is also emerging from a slump–his much more extreme than Medvedev’s. The 46th-ranked Kazakh lost his first eight matches of the 2023 campaign before making a run to last week’s Marseille semifinals (lost to eventual champion Hubert Hurkacz). Bublik opened on Tuesday by taking the first set over qualifier Alexandar Lazarov 6-1 before Lazarov retired one game into the second. Unfortunately for the 25-year-old, this is a terrible matchup. He likes to keep points short with huge serves and forehands, but Medvedev’s return and defensive skills are too good for Bublik’s firepower. Medvedev is 5-0 in the head-to-head series and 11-1 in total sets.

Pick: Medvedev in 2

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina vs. (2) Andrey Rublev

Rublev and Davidovich Fokina will be going head-to-head for just the second time in their careers on Wednesday afternoon. Their only previous encounter came at the 2020 French Open, where Rublev prevailed 7-5, 6-1, 3-6, 6-1.

With a disappointing 6-5 record so far this year, Rublev is in serious need of turning things around and a trip to Dubai may be just what the doctor ordered. The sixth-ranked Russian is 10-2 lifetime in the Dubai main draw, has never lost prior to the quarterfinals, and won the title in 2022. Rublev defeated Filip Krajinovic 7-5, 6-2 on Monday, while Davidovich Fokina crushed Malek Jaziri 6-2, 6-0 in the last match of Jaziri’s career. This should be a lot more competitive than Medvedev vs. Bublik, but it’s a good matchup for Rublev because Davidovich Fokina is content to simply play power tennis from the back of the court and that’s what Rublev likes to do–and does it better than the Spaniard.

Pick: Rublev in 2