ATP Dubai takes centre stage on the ATP Tour this weekend and there is a good chance to get on the side of the outright favourite who is Grigor Dimitrov at 11/4 odds with Coral* (betting odds taken at 7:48 p.m. on January 26th, 2018). The World Number four carries a W10 L3 match record into the tournament for 2018 as he goes in search of his first title this year. He has a bit of form though having gone to the quarters of the Australian Open and then to the final of Rotterdam where he lost out to Roger Federer. He has to have his first title this year in his sights here.
His main challenger will be Lucas Pouille who went to the final of Marseille last weekend following up a title run in Montpellier so the Frenchman is carrying some great form with him at the moment. Whoever gets through the field this week, there will be a first-time winner at the event.
ATP Dubai Winner Odds*
Grigor Dimitrov 11/4, Lucas Pouille 13/2, Richard Gasquet 8/1, Roberto Bautista Agut 9/1, Karen Khachanov 15/2, 18/1 bar* (betting odds taken at 7:48 p.m. on January 26th, 2018)
Acapulco has a pretty stacked field this week which is being headed up by Rafael Nadal. He was the runner-up last season at the tournament and this will be his first match back since the Australian Open. Nadal had to retire in the quarter finals of Melbourne through injury but has said that he is back fit and raring to go. He has an extra incentive too having just lost the World Number One spot to Roger Federer. Nadal is the 9/4 outright favourite at Coral* (betting odds taken at 7:48 p.m. on January 26th, 2018) but there are some stiff challenges coming in.
The field is pretty stacked actually with Juan Martin del Potro, Alexander Zverev, Kevin Anderson and Dominic Thiem in there, as well as reigning champions Sam Querrey. So how to sort through that lot? The experienced Anderson is a little too short of a price to back, as is the 2016 Champion Dominic Thiem who hasn’t quite looked on top of his game for a while. So the field is narrowed a bit. Alexander Zverev should be a big threat and there is potentially epic semi-finals between himself and Del Potro coming down the line. Nadal has won this a couple of times before, but with question marks over his full fitness still he could be vulnerable at the end of the tournament and Alexander Zverev looks value to land the title.
Abierto Mexicano Telcel Open Winner Odds*
Rafael Nadal 9/4, Juan Martín del Potro 13/2, Alexander Zverev 6/1, Kevin ANderson 11/1, Dominic Thiem 11/1, Kei Nishikori 14/1, Sam Querrey 14/1, 20/1 bar* (betting odds taken at 7:48 p.m. on January 26th, 2018)
It is a fairly quiet week on the WTA where only the Abierto Mexicano Telcel is going off. There are no players from the world’s top ten taking part in this one, but there is still an interesting draw which Sloane Stephens and Kristina Mladenovic really heads up. Aside from a run to the final of St Petersburg, Mladenovic really hasn’t shown up this season. Stephens has played only two matches this season and has lost them both. So it is really worth avoiding both of them. It is a wide open field, so we will side with the experience of Shuai Zhang who is in the same half of Stephens, but has beaten her already this season goes as a good 9/1 option at Coral* (betting odds taken at 7:48 p.m. on January 26th, 2018). But Belinda Bencic who is arguably the most talented player in the entire draw but has not played much at all this year could really be the biggest threat in the field.
Belinda Bencic 11/2, Sloane Stephens 8/1, Shuai Zhang 9/1, Alize Cornet 12/1, Dair Gaviolva 12/1, Kristina Mladenovic 14/1, Monica Puig 14/1, Heather Watson 16/1, 20/1 bar* (betting odds taken at 7:48 p.m. on January 26th, 2018)
