Dubai Tennis Championships 2024: Daniil Medvedev vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick

Fixture:(1) Daniil Medvedev vs (8) Alejandro Davidovich Fokina

Date: February 29, 2024

Tournament:Dubai Tennis Championships 2024

Round: Second Round (Round of 16)

Venue: Aviation Club Tennis Centre, Dubai

Surface: Outdoor Hardcourt

Prize money: $2,941,785

Daniil Medvedev vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina

Daniil Medvedev and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina will lock horns in the Dubai Tennis Championships quarterfinals on Thursday.

Medvedev, the top seed at this year’s tournament, has been made to toil hard for this week. He was pushed to three sets by Lorenzo Sonego in the last round and needed two tight sets to get the better of Alexander Shevchenko in the opener.

With the two wins, Medvedev's win-loss for the season has improved to 8-1. Also, he finds himself just three matches away from defending a title for the first time in his career.

Davidovich Fokina’s 7-4 start to the year, however, is not his best. Barring his quarterfinal run in Open 13, he has made early exits in all his main draw appearances.

The Spaniard’s two matches here in Dubai have seen him battle past Fabian Marozsan and Jakub Mensik. He will look to keep the winning momentum going as the tournament heads towards its business end.

Daniil Medvedev vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina head-to-head

Medvedev leads Davidovich Fokina in their current head-to-head at 3-0. Two of their three meetings, however, have gone the distance.

Daniil Medvedev vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina odds

(Odds to be updated)

Daniil Medvedev vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina prediction

Both Daniil Medvedev and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina have performed fairly well behind serve, especially the first delivery, this week.

The former was broken twice each in his two matches but managed to balance that out with the aggressive return game that saw him secure nine breaks of serves. The Spaniard’s numbers are similarly impressive as he has six breaks to his name, which is double the service games that he has dropped.

Both men will step out looking to control things from the baseline. They possess similarly well-rounded games, but Medvedev may have the extra stability in his shotmaking.

In a close match-up like this, a player’s ability to stay calm in crunch situations could swing things into their favor and that’s where Medvedev’s big-match experience gives him an edge.

Prediction: Medvedev to win in three sets