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Match details
Fixture: Andrey Rublev vs Emil Ruusuvuori
Date: 16 March 2021
Tournament: Dubai Tennis Championships
Round: Second round (Round of 32)
Venue: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Category: ATP 500
Surface: Outdoor hardcourt
Prize money: $1,897,805
Match timing: Not before 4 pm local time, 5:30 pm IST
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel
Andrey Rublev vs Emil Ruusuvuori preview
Andrey Rublev is set to open his 2021 Dubai Tennis Championships campaign with a Round-of-32 match against Finland's Emil Ruusuvuori.
The Russian suffered an upset defeat in his last ATP outing, succumbing to a straight-sets loss to Roberto Bautista Agut in Doha last week. The loss had come in close proximity to Rublev's title run in Rotterdam, and he will be keen to regroup ahead of his match on Tuesday.
Ruusuvuori, meanwhile, enjoyed a promising career as a junior, having peaked at no. 4 in the singles rankings. He made the transition into the senior tour at the start of 2019 and has already managed to make his presence felt.
The 21-year-old has scored wins over the likes of Dominic Thiem and Gael Monfils in recent times, while also amassing four singles titles on the Challenger circuit.
Ruusuvuori enjoys playing on hardcourts, and most of his big results have come on the surface. He has made a solid start to the 2021 season, upsetting Monfils in his main draw match at the Australian Open, and will be feeling good about his game going into Tuesday's encounter.
Andrey Rublev vs Emil Ruusuvuori head-to-head
This will be the first career meeting between Andrey Rublev and Emil Ruusuvuori, so their current head-to-head stands at a 0-0 deadlock.
Andrey Rublev vs Emil Ruusuvuori prediction
Andrey Rublev enters this contest fresh from a title run in Rotterdam, and will be a firm favorite on paper. That said, Rublev did appear to struggle with a change in conditions (to the outdoor courts) in his only match in Qatar.
The Russian has a decent record on the courts in the Middle East, but a lot will depend on his ability to adapt to the windy conditions.
Emil Ruusuvuori, on the other hand, has had ample match practice in the lead-up to this encounter. He has closed out a couple of good wins this week, and seems to have found a way to stay strong behind his serve.
The 21-year-old will be hopeful of a quick start, one that can fluster Rublev into overplaying his shots early. He will have to put his big groundstrokes to good use in order to keep the pressure on his opponent at all times.
If Ruusuvuori is unable to do that, Rublev will get time to settle into the contest. And as the Russian begins to feel at home out on the court, he is likely to come out as the stronger player in this one.
Prediction: Andrey Rublev to win in two tight sets.
