Dubai R1 previews and predictions: Troicki vs. Baghdatis, Paire vs. Nishioka

The Dubai field is not as strong as usual, meaning the title is more up for grabs to a whole host of players. Marcos Baghdatis is beginning his bid on Monday against Viktor Troicki, while another first-round showdown features Benoit Paire and Yoshihito Nishioka.

(WC) Marcos Baghdatis vs. Viktor Troicki

Troicki and Baghdatis will be squaring off for the ninth time in their careers when they clash in round one of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Monday. Baghdatis is leading the head-to-head series 5-3 (4-3 at the ATP level), including 5-2 on hard courts. Troicki, however, has won two in a row; 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 at the 2016 Chengdu event and 7-5, 6-4 last season on the red clay of Istanbul. The two veterans also faced each other in the first round of this same Dubai tournament in 2016, when Baghdatis got the job done 7-6(2), 6-2.

Although Baghdatis is struggling down at No. 112 in the world, he is a respectable 3-2 this year with a second-round performance at the Australian Open (lost to Andrey Rublev in four sets) and a quarterfinal finish in Sofia. Troicki is just 4-5 with a couple of bad losses this month–against a shadow of Stan Wawrinka’s former self in straight sets in Sofia and 6-1, 6-2 at the hands of Tomas Berdych in Rotterdam. The 65th-ranked Serb could be in trouble against Baghdatis, based on both current form and head-to-head history.

Pick: Baghdatis in 3

[polldaddy poll=9946416]

(PR) Yoshihito Nishioka vs. Benoit Paire

Paire has played plenty of tennis in 2018, but he should be well-rested heading into Dubai having skipped Marseille this past week. The 45th-ranked Frenchman is sporting a solid 7-4 record this season with semifinal showings in Pune and Sydney followed by a quarterfinal result in Montpellier.

Up first for Paire on Monday is Nishioka, whom he has never faced. The 22-year-old from Japan suffered a torn ACL last March in Miami and he is finally embarking on his comeback. Nishioka managed to upset Philipp Kohlschreiber in an Australian Open five-setter, but he has otherwise struggled. He got blown out by Andreas Seppi in the Aussie Open second round and has lost in the first round of two Challenger events–including via retirement a couple of weeks ago. Paire is in good enough form to capitalize on what appears to be a favorable draw.

Pick: Paire in 3

[polldaddy poll=9946417]