Dubai Tennis Championships 2024: Andrey Rublev vs Alexander Bublik preview, head-to-head, prediction, live streaming

This will be the sixth meeting between both players

The Dubai Tennis Championships 2024 is approaching its thrilling finale, with two exciting semifinal matches on the cards. The 2022 champion Andrey Rublev will face a tough challenge from Alexander Bublik, who has troubled him in their previous encounters, in the first semifinal. They will battle it out on 1st March at the esteemed centre court in Dubai.

Both players advanced to the semifinals with convincing straight-set wins. The second-seeded Rublev overcame the American Sebastian Korda 6-4, 6-3, relying on his formidable second serve and resilience to fend off break points.

Meanwhile, Bublik got the better of the Czech Republic’s Jiri Lehecka 6-4, 4-1, who had to retire due to an injury.

Andrey Rublev vs Alexander Bublik Preview

Andrey Rublev is on track for a repeat of last year’s Dubai Duty-Free Tennis Championships final against his fellow Russian Daniil Medvedev. The second seed Rublev breezed through a series of unseeded opponents, including Sebastian Korda and made it to the semifinal round of the ATP 500 tournament.

Rublev, the World No. 5, has consistently reached the quarterfinals or beyond in all the events he has participated in in the 2024 season. He clinched the title in Hong Kong earlier this year. He also dispatched China’s Zhizhen Zhang and French qualifier Arthur Cazaux in the first two rounds – Zhang in a three-setter and Cazaux in straight sets.

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Alexander Bublik has enjoyed a favourable draw, not facing any seeded players until the looming semifinal clash with Andrey Rublev. Bublik’s opening match against Tomas Machac (2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (5)) went the distance and required three sets for the Kazakh to triumph. His subsequent match against the Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor (7-6 (8), 7-6 (2)) was decided by two tiebreak sets in Bublik’s favour.

Alexander Bublik’s abbreviated match against Jiri Lehecka lasted merely 59 minutes due to the latter’s injury to his dominant arm. The outcome grants Bublik his third semifinal berth of the season and will propel him into the ATP top 20 for the first time next week.

Head-to-head records

Matches – 5

Andrey Rublev – 4

Alexander Bublik – 1

Rublev has dominated the meetings, with Bublik having won four of their five encounters. In 2023, both players are split with one win each. Bublik won in Halle in straight sets, while Rublev prevailed in the Round of 16 at Wimbledon in a five-setter. This leaves the duo evenly poised this year.

Where and how to watch the live streaming and TV broadcast of Andrey Rublev vs Alexander Bublik, Dubai Tennis Championships 2024 semifinal in India?

Indian fans can watch the live telecast of this match on Eurosport while the live streaming will be available on Tennis TV on March 1, 2024, at 6:30 pm IST (Tentative). 

Prediction

With an 11-3 record this season, Andrey Rublev has been dominant on hard courts. His performance in Dubai has been equally remarkable – he has won 14 matches and lost only three. Rublev has made it to the quarterfinals or better in Dubai since 2020. The Russian reached the semifinals in 2021 and the finals in both 2022 and 2023.

The second seed claimed the title in Dubai in 2022 and one of his rare defeats in the desert came in the 2023 final against Daniil Medvedev.

Alexander Bublik has a 9-4 record this year and, similar to Rublev, has one trophy to his credit – the ATP 250 title at Montpellier. His best result in Dubai has been the Round of 16 on two occasions – once in 2020 against Stefanos Tsitsipas and the other in 2023 against Daniil Medvedev.

Rublev has a perfect 9-0 record after winning the first set, while Bublik is also unbeaten at 3-0. Rublev has a 9-2 record on outdoor hard courts, while Bublik is 4-3. This statistic could be pivotal in deciding the outcome of their semifinal at the 2024 Dubai Tennis Championships.

Prediction: Rublev to win in straight sets.

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