Finals previews and predictions: Rune vs. Dimitrov, Rublev vs. Ruusuvuori

The first ATP titles of the 2024 season will be handed out on Sunday, and both finals are mouth-watering matchups. Holger Rune and Grigor Dimitrov are squaring off in Brisbane, while Andrey Rublev battles Emil Ruusuvuori in Hong Kong.

Brisbane International: (1) Holger Rune vs. (2) Grigor Dimitrov

It will be No. 1 vs. No. 2 in Brisbane when Rune and Dimitrov battle for the title on Sunday afternoon. They are facing each other for the third time in their careers after splitting a pair of 2023 encounters. Rune prevailed 3-6, 7-6(6), 7-6(4), 6-3 in the Wimbledon fourth round before Dimitrov got the job done 6-3, 7-5 on the hard courts of Beijing.

Among all Brisbane participants, Dimitrov was the best player at the end of last season and he has been the best player this week. The 32-year-old Bulgarian climbed back up to No. 14 in the rankings in 2023 and he is showing no signs of stepping off the gas pedal. Dimitrov booked his spot in this final by defeating Andy Murray, Daniel Altmaier, Rinky Hijikata, and Jordan Thompson. He has not dropped a set or even been pushed to a tiebreaker since losing the opener of his first-round match against Murray. Rune has knocked off Alexander Shevchenko, James Duckworth, and Roman Safiullin–not a particularly difficult draw for the 20-year-old Dane. This should be a fun one, but Dimitrov has been and continues to be the man to beat in Brisbane.

Pick: Dimitrov in 3

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Bank of China Open: (1) Andrey Rublev vs. Emil Ruusuvuori

Rublev and Ruusuvuori also collided at the beginning of last year, and this time around their early-season showdown comes with a title on the line. Sunday’s Hong Kong final marks the fourth meeting between these two players, with Rublev leading the head-to-head series 2-1. He won 6-2, 6-4, 6-7(2), 6-3 at the 2023 Australian Open, improving to 2-0 lifetime in the matchup on the heels of a 6-4, 6-4 victory at the 2021 Dubai event. Ruusuvuori turned the tide by pulling off a 7-6(10), 5-7, 7-6(3) upset at last summer’s Cincinnati Masters.

Surprisingly, Ruusuvuori has played in only one ATP final and is still searching for his first title (lost to Joao Sousa in Pune, 2022). The 24-year-old Finn has given himself another chance by earning wins this week over Benjamin Bonzi, Karen Khachanov, Pavel Kotov, and Sebastian Ofner. Only the match against Kotov was a straight-setter. Rublev also went the distance in his semifinal on Saturday, overcoming Jerry Shang 4-6, 6-2, 6-3. The fifth-ranked Russian preceded that result by beating Liam Broady in straights and Arthur Fils in three. Rublev is 14-9 lifetime in ATP finals, so he has a huge edge in experience. He is quite simply the better player, too, with more offensive firepower. Although their matches have generally been competitive, Rublev has the clear edge over Ruusuvuori on Sunday.

Pick: Rublev in 2

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