ATP Qatar Open 2021: Men’s Singles Draw Preview, Analysis and Prediction

ATP Qatar Open 2021: Men’s Singles Draw Preview, Analysis and Prediction
Roger Federer, Andrey Rublev, Dominic Thiem

Qatar Open, an ATP 250 event will take place in Doha from March 8-13. The event marks the much-awaited return of Roger Federer who returns to professional tennis after a span of over 13 months. The Swiss maestro is seeded second in Doha. Dominic Thiem, top seed returns to action after his early exit from the Australian Open. The defending champion is Andrey Rublev, who is also a part of the tournament and is seeded third.

Tournament Details:

  • Tournament: Qatar Open 2021
  • Date: March 8-14, 2021
  • Number of Entrants: 28 (Singles), 16 (Doubles)
  • Venue: Doha, Qatar
  • Surface: Hard Court
  • Prize Money: $787,930
  • Defending champion: Andrey Rublev

Top Seeds at the Qatar Open 2021

  • Dominic Thiem
  • Roger Federer
  • Andrey Rublev
  • Denis Shapovalov
  • Roberto Bautista Agut

Men’s Singles Draw Analysis and Prediction

Top Half

Dominic Thiem

The top half of the draw has the likes of the top seed, Dominic Thiem and the defending champion, Andrey Rublev. Both players have been granted byes in the first round. Thiem’s second round opponent is expected to be the Australian Open 2021 semifinalist, Aslan Karatsev. The Austrian will look to bounce back from his disappointment in Melbourne and will defeat the Russian to progress into the quarterfinals. In the last 8, he will face another gritty opponent in the form of Roberto Bautista Agut who has the capability of defeating top players on his day. However, Thiem has enough firepower in his armory to knock out the Spaniard.

Andrey Rublev has a relatively straight forward draw. His first challenge will come in the form of Stan Wawrinka in the quarterfinals. The Swiss defeated Rublev at the Paris Masters last year in a three set match. However, the defending champion and third seed is the favorite to win their quarterfinal battle and book a place in the last four.

FS Video

First Semifinal Prediction: Dominic Thiem vs Andrey Rublev

Bottom Half

Federer returns to action in Doha

The bottom half includes the likes of Roger Federer, Denis Shapovalov and David Goffin. All eyes will be on Roger Federer as he makes his comeback after his knee injury. The Swiss has received a bye in the first round and is expected to face Dan Evans in the last 16. The Brit is a good player on hard courts and it will be a challenging match for Federer, given that he has not played competitive tennis in over 13 months. However, Federer is expected to get past Evans and set up a potential quarterfinal clash against Borna Coric, who is another strong opponent.

Borna Coric is likely to take Federer to the distance in a three set battle, however, with the experience the Swiss possesses, he will get through in the end. David Goffin enters the tournament high on confidence after his Montpellier Open title. He opens his campaign against Filip Krajinovic, an opponent he should defeat in straight sets.

The Belgian will face Lorenzo Sonego in the second round, which will be a great match-up. Goffin is expected to emerge victorious in a tough battle and progress to the quarterfinals, where he will face the fourth seed, Denis Shapovalov. The clash will be another test for Goffin and he will come out on top once again as he sets up a semifinal clash against Roger Federer.

Second Semifinal Prediction: Roger Federer vs David Goffin

Semifinals

David Goffin

The first semifinal will be a blockbuster match-up featuring Andrey Rublev and Dominic Thiem. The Russian has had an edge over Federer in their previous two outings on hard courts, winning on both occasions. Rublev will defeat tje Austrian in a thrilling three set encounter to continue his title defence.

David Goffin will face Roger Federer in another semifinal. By this time, the Swiss maestro would have found his mojo back and will play his best tennis. The Swiss is expected to win in straight sets and progress to the finals.

Final Prediction: Roger Federer vs Andrey Rublev

Final

The Russian will defend his title in Doha

Andrey Rublev will face Roger Federer in the finals of the Qatar Open. The final will be a close match, with the Russian coming out on top and defeating the Swiss. Rublev has played plenty of hard court tennis in the recent year and that will play a crucial factor in the Russian’s win. Rublev will successfully defend his title in Doha.

To lift the Title: Andrey Rublev

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