The final day of the Mubadala World Tennis Championships will feature an exhibition match between Dominic Thiem and Karen Khachanov.
Watch & bet on Dominic Thiem v Karen Khachanov live in the Mubadala World Tennis Championships with bet365 here* on Saturday, December 29. The match begins at 5:00 pm local time (1:00 pm GMT).
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The exhibition match was originally supposed to be played between Rafael Nadal and Khachanov. However, the Spaniard decided to skip the match and take a couple of days off before the 2019 ATP Tour starts.
His withdrawal paved the way for Thiem, who hasn’t had the best of time in Mubadala so far.
The young Austrian started his campaign against none other than Khachanov on Thursday evening. Thiem lost that encounter in straight sets. Thereafter, he went up against the South Korean Hyeon Chung for a fifth-place finish. There too, Thiem lost in straight sets, bringing a disappointing end to a disappointing campaign.
However, he has now got a chance to redeem himself and avenge his defeat against Khachanov.
Speaking of Khachanov, the young Russian made it as far as the semifinal before losing to Novak Djokovic in straight sets.
The Endurance of Two Players
It is absolutely fair to say that Khachanov and Thiem are two of the hardest working players on the tour. In the previous season, Thiem ended the year with a win-loss record of 54-20 and three singles titles, all of which came at ATP 250 Series events.
The World No. 8 has been highly relentless, to say the least. Season-after-season, he plays in many tournaments and constantly challenges himself to improve his game further. He has the potential to reach the top and quite possibly, he may achieve that feat one day.
As for Khachanov, his tally stood at 46-22. He achieved his career-high singles ranking as the World No. 11 and also won the Paris Masters along with ATP Moscow and ATP Marseille. This is definitely a remarkable feat, given that he started the season as the World No. 48.
Another thing that makes this match interesting to watch is the fact that the two players are among the few who are capable of upsetting the top order on the ATP Tour. For instance, Khachanov sent a strong message in Paris when he defeated Thiem, Alexander Zverev, and Novak Djokovic to win the biggest title of his career.
As for the Austrian, he has registered many wins over top 10 players over the course of his illustrious spell so far. As a top 10 player himself, he has, time and again, proven why he deserves to be in that position.
With the next generation of players slowly moving into the scene, it will be up to Thiem and Khachanov to lead the way. Given that perseverance and thirst to rise to the top, they are more than likely to meet on the tour again. This match is like a prequel to how things will look for the duo in the coming season.
Khachanov v Thiem – Who will win?
Khachanov has defeated Thiem twice already – once in the semifinal of Paris Masters and the other time in Mubadala itself. The Austrian has now got a point to prove and avenge his defeat. This is going to be a close call but the bookies are likely to put the odds in the favor of Thiem.
You can watch Dominic Theim v Karen Khachanov match in the Mubadala World Tennis Championships live on bet365. It will be played on Saturday, December 29, at 5:00 pm local time (1:00 pm GMT).
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