Russia’s Andrey Rublev is looking to capture his fifth straight ATP 500 title this week. He will play American Taylor Fritz in the third round of the 2021 ATP Dubai on Wednesday, March 17. The match will begin not before 8:20 pm local time. Get the live streaming options of this Andrey Rublev v Taylor Fritz match along with its preview, head to head, and tips here.
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Andrey Rublev v Taylor Fritz Head to Head
Rublev and Fritz have played each other twice in their careers before this, with both meetings coming in the 2018 season. The American big server won their first meeting at the Indian Wells Masters in straight sets, before Rublev evened the series with a five-set win at the Next Gen ATP Finals.
Also Read:
Rublev Records 16th Win of the Season
With four titles at the ATP 500 level, and 21 straight match wins, Andrey Rublev will be looking to put another jewel on the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.
On the eve of his opening match this week, Rublev compared playing tennis to playing a game of chess. And just like the competitive board game, the Russian is always preparing to attack with his ferocious forehand.
The Russian has talked about the conditions in Dubai being tough to his aggressive game style. Balls fly quicker, and there is less time to set your feet and adjust your racket to take the next shot. And Rublev knows the magnitude of the task, if he wants to keep his incredible run at 500-level intact.
Having navigated what appeared to be a tricky opener against talented Finn Emil Ruusuvuori, 6-4 6-4, he extended his winning run to 21 matches at this level. Only Roger Federer has more consecutive wins at ATP 500 tournaments, with 28.
Rublev’s serve was colossal in his straight sets win in Dubai. He dropped just five points behind his first serve (27/32), and earned a break in each set to nullify the qualifier’s resistance. The 23-year-old is currently 14-2 for the season.
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Fritz Beats Basilashvili
Taylor Fritz avenged last week’s semifinal defeat to Nikoloz Basilashvili, as he came from behind to beat the newly-crowned Doha champion 4-6 6-3 7-6, in just over two hours of action.
The American showed composure and resilience at crucial moments in the match, particularly in the second set when he made his first decisive move to turn the match on its head. Fritz secured a break of serve to storm into a 3-1 lead after he dropped the first set 6-4. Eventually, he wrapped up the second set 6-3 to force a decider.
Basilashvili played sensationally in Doha last week where he won his fourth tour level title, garnering a career-best win over the returning Roger Federer en route. And for a moment it appeared to be smooth sailing in Dubai. But Fritz, whose big serve bailed him out of uncomfortable situations was able to take a commanding 4-0 lead in the deciding tiebreak.
The 23-year-old smacked 26 aces to Basilashvili’s 8, and in the end the Georgian’s weariness from a long week in Qatar handed Fritz the initiative. He sets up a third round meeting against Andrey Rublev, and a first between the pair since 2018.
Rublev v Fritz Prediction and Tip
Rublev’s form right now is a resemblance to a terrier hunting a vermin. Efficient, fast and rarely missing. Fritz will need another monstrous serving display to keep the Russian at bay, but for how long? If Rublev can outmaneuver the American with his brute firepower, we should expect a succession of errors coming off the Californian.
Tip: Rublev to win: 2/9 (bet365)
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The 2021 ATP Dubai Open will be played from March 14-21. You can watch & bet on these matches here. Get your latest premium tennis predictions here.
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