These two players ensured that we wouldn't get a repeat of last year's Dubai Championships final, so either Alexander Bublik or Ugo Humbert will be crowned as the champion.
This is a pretty fascinating matchup because nobody really expected that we would see it. Both of these players play quite similarly, as their style heavily relies on their serve as well as the forehand.
Bublik is the more aggressive player and also the player who is more likely to hit an outrageous winner. Humbert is a very solid and consistent player who will grind opponents down with relentless attacking, especially on a faster court like this.
It's a fascinating matchup between two players who are playing very well. Both have been amazing this year, which their runs at the ATP 500 tournament in Dubai only confirm.
Bublik did extremely well to push Andrey Rublev so much that he melted down and got defaulted. The Kazakhstani player was on the verge of losing a couple of times but survived.
Humbert just played a fabulous match against Daniil Medvedev to book the final. So who will win the trophy in the United Arab Emirates?
Bublik and Humbert have never played so far, which is a shame because it's a tricky matchup to predict. Generally the more consistent player should win a match, which would be Humbert but Bublik has demonstrated that these runs generally end up with him getting the trophy.
The Frenchman is certainly a player that can be beaten, especially with the way Bublik plays. I expect the Kazakhstani player to attack the serve at all times to create some pressure. He can't really allow himself to be pushed around by Humbert.
| Alexander Bublik | Ugo Humbert | |
| 0 | H2H | 0 |
| 23 | Rank | 18 |
| 26 | Age | 25 |
| 13-4 | 2024 W/L | 12-3 |
| 136-129 | Career W/L | 112-104 |
I'll go against the grain here and pick Bublik to win. I just like the way he has played so far this year.
Prediction: Alexander Bublik to win in two sets.