Qatar Open 2023: Daniil Medvedev vs Felix Auger-Aliassime preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick

Match Details

Fixture: (3) Daniil Medvedev vs (2) Felix Auger-Aliassime

Date: 24 February, 2023

Tournament: Qatar ExxonMobil Open

Round: Semifinals

Venue: Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex, Doha

Category: ATP 250

Surface: Outdoor Hardcourt

Prize money: $1,377,025

Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video

Daniil Medvedev vs Felix Auger-Aliassime preview

Third seed Daniil Medvedev will lock horns with second seed Felix Auger-Aliassime for a place in the final of the Qatar Open on Friday (February 24).

Medevedev won both his matches this week - Liam Broady in the second round and Christopher O'Connell in the quarterfinals - to extend his win streak to seven matches. The World No. 8 arrived in the Qatari capital off his first title of the year in Rotterdam last week and is now 12-2 on the season.

Meanwhile, World No. 9 Auger-Aliassime has improved to 7-3 in 2023 after seeing off Jason Kubler in the second round and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the last eight. He's coming off a quarterfinal final loss to Medvedev in Rotterdam last week.

Daniil Medvedev vs Felix Auger-Aliassime head-to-head

Medvedev owns a commanding 5-0 head-to-head lead over Auger Aliassime, with the pair's last meeting coming last week in the Rotterdam quarterfinals, which ended the Canadian's title defense.

Daniil Medvedev vs Felix Auger-Aliassime odds

Player	Moneyline	Handicap Bets	Total games (over and under)
Daniil Medvedev	-250	-3.5 (-105)	Over 22.5 (-110)
Felix Auger-Aliassime	+190	+3.5 (-135)	Under 22.5 (-130)

(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)

Daniil Medvedev vs Felix Auger-Aliassime prediction

This is a matchup between two top-ten players with a rather similar counterpunching style of play.

While Medvedev is clearly the in-form player, riding a seven-match win streak, Auger-Aliassime is into his first semifinal of the season. However, the Russian has clearly got Auger-Aliassime's number - dropping just four sets in five previous meetings.

Their last meeting was a straight-sets win for Medvedev, who went on to win the title at Rotterdam last week. Considering how the matchup has gone the way of the former World No. 1, it looks difficult to predict any outcome other than a Medvedev win.

The Russian could be a bit weary, though, playing his eighth match in less than two weeks across two continents. Auger-Aliassime, meanwhile, is relatively fresh, arriving in Doha earlier than Medvedev to acclimatize with the conditions.

A brisk start would be key for Auger-Aliassime, who will look to employ an aggressive brand of tennis to draw first blood and avoid too many baseline exchanges, where Medvedev is clearly the better player.

Pick: Auger-Aliassime in three sets

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Bhargav supports Italy at national level, a team steeped in tradition and history according to him. He still harbors the heartbreak from the Azzurri’s 1994 FIFA World Cup final defeat against Brazil, and protagonist-turned-antagonist from the game, ‘Divine Ponytail’ Roberto Baggio is his all-time favorite player. His favorite manager is Marcelo Lippi, who ended Italy’s 24-year wait for the World Cup trophy, winning it in 2006.

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Edited by Puranjay