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Daniil Medvedev will commence his title defense against Alexander Shevchenko at the Dubai Tennis Championships on Tuesday. Alexander Zverev, the top seed at the Mexican Open, will take on fellow German Daniel Altmaier in his opener.
2018 Australian Open champion Caroline Wozniacki is back in action at the San Diego Open. Stefanos Tsitsipas and Casper Ruud will take to the court at the Mexican Open as well.
With three big tournaments happening this week, there's a lot to keep up with. While it's tough to narrow down the best fixtures, here are five matches lined up on February 27 that one cannot afford to miss:
#1 - Daniil Medvedev vs Alexander Shevchenko
Medvedev has only competed in the Australian Open so far this season. He reached his third final at the venue and even led Jannik Sinner by two sets. However, the latter staged a comeback to defeat the Russian in five sets.
Medvedev contested a lot of lengthy matches during the tournament and set a new record in the process. He now holds the record for most sets played at a Major with 31 sets and most time spent on court during a Grand Slam with 24 hours and 17 minutes.
Medvedev opted to rest after such an intense campaign and now returns to defend his title at the Dubai Tennis Championships. His first-round opponent, Shevchenko, has a 7-7 record for the season. Based on their form, the former US Open champion will be favored to make a winning start here.
Date: February 27, 2024.
Time: Not before 7:00 p.m. local time, 8:30 p.m. IST, 3:00 p.m. GMT, and 10:00 a.m. ET.
Where to watch the Dubai Tennis Championships?
Viewers from the following countries can catch all the action live on the following channels and sites:
USA: Viewers in the United States can catch all the action on Tennis Channel.
UK: Fans in the UK can watch the proceedings live on Sky Sports.
Canada: Canadian viewers can watch the match live on TSN+.
Australia: Fans across the country can watch the match on beIN Sports.
#2 - Alexander Zverev vs Daniel Altmaier
Zverev was instrumental in Germany's victory at the second edition of the United Cup. He even saved match points in his singles tie against Hubert Hurkacz in the final. He later reached the semifinals of the Australian Open but lost to Medvedev despite leading two sets to love.
Zverev next competed at the Los Cabos Open where he was upset by Jordan Thompson in the semifinals. He's the top seed at the Mexican Open and returns to the venue two years after being defaulted from the tournament due to unsportsmanlike conduct.
Altmaier hasn't won a match since his quarterfinal exit from the ASB Classic. He crashed out in the first round of the Australian Open and his South American clay swing was unsuccessful too as he failed to win a match there. A change of surface is unlikely to reverse his fortunes given his opponent.
Date: February 27, 2024 (Mexico, USA, Canada) and February 28, 2024 (UK/Europe, India).
Time: Not before 9:00 p.m. local time, 10:00 p.m. ET, 3:00 a.m. GMT, and 8:30 a.m. IST.
#3 - Casper Ruud vs Christopher Eubanks
Ruud finished as the runner-up at last week's Los Cabos Open. He defeated Marcos Giron, Nuno Borges, and Tsitsipas to reach the final. He was the favorite to win the title over Thompson but the latter managed to stage an upset with a 6-3, 7-6 (4) victory.
Eubanks has a 3-3 record for the season so far and hasn't impressed much with his performances. Since his quarterfinal run at last year's Wimbledon, he has won just eight matches in all, including his wins from this season. Ruud is the clear-cut favorite to win this one.
Date: February 27, 2024 (Mexico, USA, Canada) and February 28, 2024 (UK/Europe, India).
Time: Approx. 8:00 p.m. local time, 9:00 p.m. ET, 2:00 a.m. GMT, and 7:30 a.m. IST.
#4 - Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Roman Safiullin
Tsitsipas, a runner-up at last year's Australian Open, could only make it to the fourth round this time. He lost to Taylor Fritz in four sets making it his earliest exit from the tournament since 2020 when he lost in the third round.
Tsitsipas was the defending champion at the Los Cabos Open but fell to Ruud in the semifinals. He has a pretty good record at the Mexican Open as he reached the final in 2021 and the semifinals the following year. He'll be aiming to perform at that level once again at the venue.
Safiullin started the season with a semifinal finish at the Brisbane International, after which he hasn't won a single match. Currently on a four-match losing streak, he'll need to raise his level considerably or risk another early exit.
Date: February 27, 2024 (Mexico, USA, Canada) and February 28, 2024 (UK/Europe, India).
Time: Starting at 6:00 p.m. local time, 7:00 p.m. ET, 12:00 a.m. GMT, and 5:30 a.m. IST.
Where to watch the Mexican Open?
Viewers in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia can catch the tournament live on the following channels and sites:
USA: All matches will be broadcast on Tennis Channel.
UK: Viewers in the region can catch up on the proceedings on Sky Sports.
Australia: Viewers Down Under can catch all the action live on beIN Sports.
Canada: Viewers in Canada can watch all the matches on TSN+.
#5 - Caroline Wozaniacki vs Anna Blinkova
Wozniacki returns to action after sitting out the Middle East Swing. She has won just one match this year, which was courtesy of a retirement from Magda Linette during their first-round contest at the Australian Open. She received a wildcard to compete in the San Diego Open.
Blinkova stunned Elena Rybakina en route to the third round of the season's first Major. The two also contested the longest tie-break in Grand Slam history as she bested the Kazakh 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (20).
Blinkova then lost in the first round of the Linz Open but made it to the second round of the Transylvania Open the following week. She'll be favored to win against Wozniacki, but given the Russian's inconsistency, the former World No. 1 can't be counted out.
Date: February 27, 2024 (USA, Canada) and February 28, 2024 (UK/Europe, India).
Time: Not before 7:00 p.m. local time, 10:00 p.m. ET, 3:00 a.m. GMT, and 8:30 a.m. IST.
Where to watch San Diego Open?
Viewers in the USA and UK can watch the tournament live on the following channels and sites:
USA: The official broadcaster in the region is Tennis Channel.
UK: Matches will be telecast on Sky Sports.
