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Dubai Tennis Championships to have new men’s singles winner

By Harry Floyd

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 23: Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria plays a backhand in his quarter-final match against Kyle Edmund of Great Britain on day nine of the 2018 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 23, 2018 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 23: Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria plays a backhand in his quarter-final match against Kyle Edmund of Great Britain on day nine of the 2018 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 23, 2018 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images) /
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Dubai Tennis Championships action is heating up this week in men’s singles. All of the tournament’s recent champions, however, are absent.

Grigor Dimitrov is the top seed this week at the Dubai Tennis Championships. The Bulgarian tennis star is the favorite as several of the tournament’s recent champions are absent for the 2018 event. Defending champion Andy Murray is rehabbing after having recently undergone surgery.

Also absent are Stan Wawrinka, Novak Djokovic, and Roger Federer. These three along with Murray have largely dominated the ATP World Tour event throughout the past decade.

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While Dimitrov is the favorite, others such as Lucas Pouille or Roberto Bautista Agut can easily make a deep run in Dubai. Several rising stars in men’s singles tennis are present at the Dubai Tennis Championships this week.

Grigor Dimitrov faces Malek Jaziri first in Dubai.

Dimitrov is the current world No. 4 in men’s singles tennis. He sits behind Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Marin Cilic as of right now. While Federer and Cilic are not in action this week, Nadal is making his return to the courts at the 2018 Mexican Open. The world No. 2 looks to find his rhythm after rehabbing a grade one leg injury. Nadal is the top seed in Acapulco this week and is gearing up for his favorite time of year. With the French Open right around the corner, Nadal is primed to make a resurgence during the clay court season.

Next: French Open Predictions & Favorites

As for action at the Dubai Tennis Championships, look for Dimitrov to come out strong in his opener. Last week, Elina Svitolina defended her title on the women’s singles side of the tournament. This week, we are setting ourselves up to see a new player in the winner’s circle on the men’s singles side. Play in Dubai is a good representation of the state of the sport right now. While several top veteran players still remain dominant in men’s singles, tennis is ushering in a new generation of young stars. Players such as Dimitrov are making headlines as of late. He is the current ATP Finals champion, winning in London last year. Check back for updates on all of the action in men’s singles tennis at the 2018 Dubai Tennis Championships.

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