It is a slightly surprising final at the ATP Dubai Tennis Championships with Daniil Medvedev set to take on Tallon Griekspoor. Both men will be desperate to get their hands on the title – albeit for slightly different reasons and, as ever, we here at LWOT will be offering our prediction for the final. But who will come out on top in the UAE?

ATP Dubai Final Prediction
Daniil Medvedev vs Tallon Griekspoor

Head-to-head: Griekspoor 1-0 Medvedev

Daniil Medvedev is still ranked high enough that he was seeded third coming into ATP Dubai, but that should not disguise the struggles the Russian has endured of late. He has fallen out of the top 10 and suffered some damaging recent defeats, including to fellow struggler Stefanos Tsitsipas last time out in Doha. But he has looked renewed so far in Dubai. He opened his campaign by dismissing Shang Jungcheng for the second time in as many weeks, and has not looked back.

Indeed, he has not dropped a set in reaching the final, with the closest anyone has come to beating him top seed Felix Auger-Aliassime – who lost 6-4 2-6 in the semifinals. If Medvedev can maintain that level in the final, he will take some stopping – not just in Dubai but in Indian Wells and Miami which are looming large on the horizon.

Griekspoor has played some very good tennis himself, however. The Dutchman has beaten Otto Virtanen, second seed Alexander Bublik, sixth seed Jakub Mensik and fifth seed Andrey Rublev to reach the final, losing only one set in the process and keeping a very cool head under pressure. He also beat Medvedev in their only previous meeting which, coincidentally, was contested in Dubai last year. That will surely give him confidence heading into this match, even if looked to be pulling up with an injury towards the end of his semifinal win.

That said, Medvedev is a Grand Slam champion and former world #1 for a reason. His defensive style of play has been left looking slightly outmoded by the rise of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, but the Russian is not just a defensive player – he has impressive variety and can make life very uncomfortable for opponents when he flattens out his groundstrokes. The level Medvedev has displayed so far this week has been reminiscent of him at his best and suggests that, unless Griekspoor can find another gear, he will be the man to lift the title.

Prediction: Medvedev in 2

Main photo credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports