Roger Federer and Stefanos Tsitsipas will clash on Saturday night for the Dubai Duty Free Tennis championships title. It’s a rematch of their round of 16 showdown at the Australian Open a little more than a month ago.
There is a lot riding on the outcome of this final. The storyline is compelling; the two men met for the first time in the Australian Open fourth round in January. Federer carried the mantle of the old guard, he with his 20 Grand Slam titles and widely considered one of the greatest players of all time. Tsitsipas represented the young guns. It was a battle of youth and experience; youth won.
Sweetening the pot is the fact that Federer is going for title No. 100 in his career and the fact that Tsitsipas has a game not unlike Federer, himself. The Greek plays an aesthetically pleasing all-court game with a delightful one-handed backhand. Like Federer, his game is more lithe grace than Rafael Nadal-like pugilist. It was, in many ways, like watching the Swiss face a younger, Mediterranean version of himself.
Tsitsipas’s victory, in which he out-finessed the Maestro, raised more than a few questions. Perhaps the NextGen was making its move. Maybe the Federer-Nadal-Djokovic dynasty was finally reaching its conclusion. The speculation was quickly squashed when Nadal pummeled the upstart in the semis (and even more so when Novak Djokovic once again lifted the trophy). But for a few days at least, Tsitsipas was the story of the tournament.
So, while a 500-point ATP event is a much lower-stakes event, pundits will still be watching–waiting to make a proclamation that reaches beyond the final match of Dubai.
The head-to-head sample size (1-0 for the world No. 11) is too small to consider it a distinct disadvantage either way. Further, their Aussie Open match was incredibly close; three of the four sets were decided in tiebreaks. These two should go into the final on pretty much even footing. The best-of-three format is even a benefit to both players, as Federer is 37 years old and Tsitsipas just won the event in Marseille, so the gas tank might be running a little low.
Expect a close, entertaining match that goes the distance.
Cheryl pick: Federer in 3
Ricky pick: Federer in 2
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