Exciting ATP 500 Series Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships Preview | Hollywoodbets Sports Blog

The 26th edition of this prestigious event was eagerly anticipated to showcase the newly crowned World Number One, Roger Federer. Fans were on the edge of their seats as Federer kept the door open for a last-minute appearance, while Rafa Nadal’s return from injury at Acapulco sparked hope he might defend his ranking points here.

Unfortunately, Federer has withdrawn late, elevating Bulgarian star Grigor Dimitrov to top seed status. Dimitrov is keen to bounce back and prove that his surprising defeat to Federer in Rotterdam was just a minor setback during his impressive run. Lucas Pouille leads the bottom half of a draw that, while not loaded with superstar names, promises some captivating action.

Top seed Dimitrov is favoured to advance smoothly, though his recent collapse against Federer in Rotterdam raises some injury concerns. Watch out for Robin Haase in the second round and Phillip Kohlschrieber, the resilient German, as a possible quarterfinal contender. Kohlschrieber has shown strong recent form and could be a dark horse, especially given his close battles with Federer. While Dimitrov is the clear favourite, don’t be surprised if Kohlschrieber challenges him fiercely.

This quarter is packed with competitive matchups. Bautista-Agut faces a tough opener against Florian Mayer, followed by a potential clash with Joao Sousa or French talent Herbert. Benoit Paire or Richard Gasquet might appear in the quarterfinal, with Gasquet aiming to build on a solid season start, including his runner-up finish in Montpellier. Bautista-Agut may find this section challenging, with Sousa and Gasquet as serious threats.

The third quarter appears the most open and unpredictable. Neither Krajinovic nor Dzumhur have been consistently reliable recently. Expect interesting performances from the ever-entertaining Marco Baghdatis and journeyman Victor Troicki. Dzumhur is the highest seed but Krajinovic’s steady improvement makes him a favorite in this section.

Lucas Pouille has had a promising start to the year, earning him the second seed. After impressive runs to finals at Montpellier and Open 13, he faces a tricky first round against Ernst Gulbis and potential threats like Karen Khachanov. Sugita could exploit complacency and may well be the safer pick to advance from this quarter.

Fresh off victory at the Open 13, Khachanov is the favourite but young winners often face challenges immediately after a big win, especially against seasoned players like Denis Istomin.

This match is tough to call. Gasquet’s strong form suggests he may prevail, but his recent intense schedule and susceptibility to physical lapses open the door for Coric to pull an upset.

Bautista-Agut had a solid 2017 but faces tough competition from Florian Mayer, who represents excellent value at 15/4 odds.