2022 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships Picks for February 21 (Archive)
The tennis continues in Dubai this week with 500 ranking points up for grabs on the ATP side. There’s also an exorbitant $2,800,000 prize money on the line this week. Aslan Karatsev is the defending champion. I do enjoy handicapping this tournament because after watching the women play on this very same surface all week, I have a pretty good idea of how the courts play. The courts play medium quick, they favor power players, but they are not so fast as to completely overwhelm those who prefer a defensive style.
This is my favorite style of hardcourt surface, quick enough for winners but not so fast that all the points are under in less than 5 shots. Also, with the success we had on the WTA tour I will be adding some women’s picks from Doha into these articles this week. All in all, it’s a great time to be a tennis fan and an even better time to be a tennis bettor. Let’s break down the tennis odds and get to the winning tennis picks.
Hubert Hurkacz vs. Alexander Bublik
Monday, February 21, 2022 – 5:00 AM EST at Center Court
Hubert Hurkacz is ranked 11th in the world right now. He enters the tournament as the fifth seed here in Dubai. Hurkacz is a talented, powerful player who relies on a big serve to overwhelm opponents. Hurkacz has had an excellent season in 2021, but he is slumping to start this season. He only made the second round of the Australian Open, falling to Adrian Mannarino in straight sets. He also fell in the second round of his subsequent tournament, losing in three sets in Rotterdam to Lorenzo Musetti. Hurkacz hopes to turn things around to enter the top 10 in the ATP rankings.
Alexander Bublik is ranked 31 in the world. Bublik also lost in the second round of the Australian Open, but it was against an in-form Gael Monfils. It is hard to downgrade Bublik seriously in a quality loss such as that. He showed that he is not one to be counted out, by following that up by becoming champion in the indoor tournament in Montpellier, France. In the final, he got a quality win over the world number three Alexander Zverev. This shows that Bublik is able to compete with the very best in the ATP Tour.
I like the match to go over here in Dubai. The quicker surface should play well to both men’s serves and I believe that both men should be able to hold serve regularly. With a total of 22.5, if we get one tiebreak we should be on track to go over.
I think this is quite the possibility here with two men who would greatly appreciate adding the rankings points and the unusually high prize money for an ATP 500. We should get a good effort out of both men and I expect this one to go three sets. Our first bet ATP Dubai is Hubert Hurkacz/Alexander Bublik Over 22.5 games.
ATP Pick: Over 22.5 games (-120) with Bovada (visit our Bovada Review)
Karen Khachanov vs. Alex de Minaur
Monday, February 21, 2022 – 5:00 AM EST at Center Court
Karen Khachanov had a fairly good showing at the ATP Doha last week. He made it to the semi-finals and lost to the eventual champion, Roberto Bautista Agut, in a three-set match. The match was hard-fought and lasted over two hours. Khachanov was visibly disappointed to fall short, as he looks to add another ATP title to his resume. Khachanov has won four titles in his career but has not won a tournament since 2018.
Alex de Minaur is 7-3 in the 2022 season. In his most recent match, he fell in the quarterfinals in Rotterdam to Stefanos Tsitsipas. Alex de Minaur also played well in the Australian Open before falling to an in-form Jannik Sinner in the fourth round. Alex de Minaur has started the season strong and this should be a good match against Karen Khachanov today.
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Alex de Minaur and Karen Khachanov have only played once before, with de Minaur securing the victory. The match was an intense five-set affair at the US Open in 2020. The courts at the US Open do play slower, however, and I think the surface here today will favor Khachanov more than it did in Flushing Meadows.
I like Karen Khachanov to get the victory here tonight. Khachanov played excellent tennis last week and he did not have to travel too far for the tournament today. Even though his last match was a grueling affair, he has had enough time to recover adequately. The style and the surface do favor Khachanov and I expect him to avenge his defeat at the 2020 US Open. Our second pick at ATP Dubai is Karen Khachanov -2 games available at the top-rated sportsbooks.
ATP Pick: Karen Khachanov -2 games (-108) with Bovada
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.