Aslan Karatsev vs Jannik Sinner Prediction: Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championship 2021

Aslan Karatsev takes on the 16th seed Jannik Sinner in a tantalizing match-up at the quarterfinals of the Dubai Open. 

Karatsev notched up a tough three-set win against the 17th seeded Lorenzo Sonego in the round of 16. Trailing by 6-3 against the Italian, the Russian came out all guns blazing winning the remaining two sets 6-3 6-4. Karatsev smashed 3 aces and clinched an impressive 76% of points on his second serve. 

On the other hand, Sinner edged past the fourth seed Roberto Bautista Agut in the pre-quarterfinals. The match was evenly poised at a set apiece. A crucial break of serve in the deciding set gave the Italian the momentum as he won the match 6-4 3-6 7-5. 

His serve was strong as he fired 16 aces and claimed 77% of points on his first-serve. Sinner also had a field day hitting a whopping 48 winners. 

Head to Head Record

This is the first-ever career meeting between Karatsev and Sinner. 

Key Insights

• Karatsev is playing his first-ever ATP 500 quarterfinal.
• Sinner is the youngest player (19 years) in the top 100 of the ATP rankings.
• A win for Sinner will take him to his second semifinal this year.
• A victory for Karatsev will ensure that he reaches his second semifinal in the 2021 season.
• Sinner is playing in the Dubai Open for the first time in his career.

Game Analysis

Karatsev is strong from the baseline and can dominate the rallies against his opponents by hitting the ball deeply. On a career-high ranking of 42 now after jumping out of the top 100, 2021 has been a dream year for the Russian. 

Sinner can put pressure on Karatsev with his top-spin heavy forehand though the Russian can manage it with his offensive strokeplay. Karatsev is very efficient with his netplay and that will enable him to grab points quickly. His power-hitting can do a lot of damage on the fast hard courts in Dubai. 

Touted as the next big thing in Italian tennis, Sinner has made rapid strides in his game in recent times. His main strengths lie in his powerful groundstrokes and an efficient backhand. The 19-year-old can retrieve any ball on the court with his superior foot speed.

Placed at an all-time high ranking of 32 currently, Sinner is improving with every passing day. He will be full of confidence having defeated the experienced Agut, who was the Dubai Open champion in 2018. The expectations are sky-high from the Italian as many retired players have predicted the prodigy to win a grand slam in the future. He has been impressive so far in the long rallies by playing slowly and pouncing at the right time. 

Karatsev came to Dubai after having a good time in the ATP 250 Doha Open, Qatar. Despite losing his singles match in three sets to Dominic Thiem in the pre-quarterfinals, the Russian bagged the doubles title alongside his compatriot Andrey Rublev without dropping a set throughout the tournament. 

Jannik Sinner has the big-match experience and has defeated many top players before. Karatsev is no stranger to higher-ranked opponents having reached the semifinals of the Australian Open this year. 

Sinner will aim to overcome his disappointing loss to Daniil Medvedev in the quarterfinals of the Marseille Open by going all the way to the title in Dubai. 

While both players are equally matched in skill-sets, it will all boil down to handling pressure and playing the best tennis during the crunch moments.

Prediction - Aslan Karatsev to win in three sets

Featured Image Credits - tennishead.net