Finals previews and predictions: Bautista Agut vs. Berdych, Anderson vs. Karlovic

Two unseeded veterans are still alive heading into championship Saturday around the tennis world: Tomas Berdych and Ivo Karlovic. Berdych is going up against Roberto Bautista Agut in Doha, while Karlovic faces Kevin Anderson in Pune.

Qatar ExxonMobil Open: (7) Roberto Bautista Agut vs. (WC) Tomas Berdych

Bautista Agut and Berdych will be squaring off for the seventh time in their careers and for the first time since the 2016 Australian Open when they battle for the Doha title on Saturday evening. Berdych has won three in a row a the Spaniard’s expense dating back to the 2014 French Open, thus taking a 4-2 lead in the head-to-head series. They have split their four previous hard-court encounters at four victories apiece, with the Czech most recently prevailing 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 three years ago Down Under.

This is an improbable final; first because Berdych missed much of the 2018 campaign due to injury and second because Bautista Agut ran into world No. 1 Novak Djokovic on Friday. Djokovic took the first set of that semifinal showdown, but Bautista Agut delivered a brilliant performance to pull off a 3-6, 7-6(6), 6-4 upset. Doha’s seventh seed preceded that result with straight-set defeats of Matteo Berrettini, Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, and Stan Wawrinka. Berdych, down at No. 71 in the rankings, is back in action with wins over Philipp Kohlschreiber, Fernando Verdasco, Pierre-Hugues Herbert, and Marco Cecchinato. This is a considerable step up in competition for Berdych against a red-hot opponent who almost always starts his seasons in outstanding form.

Pick: Bautista Agut in 3

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Tata Open: (1) Kevin Anderson vs. Ivo Karlovic

Karlovic is turning back the clock in Pune, where he will go up against the top-seeded Anderson with his first title since the summer of 2016 on the line. The 6’11” Croat is still in the top 100 (right on the number) at 39 years old and he will comfortably inside it even with a loss on Saturday. Karlovic has been broken only once this week while ousting Felix Auger-Aliassime, Evgeny Donskoy, Ernests Gulbis, and Steve Darcis all in straight sets.

Anderson is coming off back-to-back outstanding seasons in 2017 and 2018 to establish himself as a staple of the top 10 (currently No. 6). More of the same seems to be in the cards for this year following Pune victories over Laslo Djere, Jaume Munar, and Gilles Simon. Friday’s contest against Simon was a rematch of the 2018 final, which the Frenchman won. Something will have to give on Saturday because neither man has dropped a single set, but Anderson’s superiority in the return will likely be the difference during crucial moments in what is sure to be a competitive, serve-heavy affair.

Pick: Anderson in 3

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