Dubai Tennis Analysis: is Roger Federer an underdog in the semifinals?

Roger Federer faces a tough matchup next at the Dubai Tennis Championships. Is the second seed something of an underdog in the semifinals?

The 2019 Dubai Tennis Championships reaches the semifinals this weekend. Both matches feature incredibly talented players in men’s singles tennis. In one match, we have rising ATP star Stefanos Tsitsipas taking on French tennis veteran Gael Monfils. Tsitsipas is the fifth seed but Monfils is coming off of a title win at the Rotterdam Open.

In the other semifinals match, we have Swiss legend Roger Federer going up against another rising star in Croatian Borna Coric. Let’s take a look at the Federer-Coric semifinals meeting.

This is not a given for Federer. While we dubbed Federer the favorite to take the title in Dubai earlier this month, Coric poses a major threat to the tennis great. Federer might have an unparalleled seven titles in men’s singles at the Dubai Tennis Championships, but he has struggled against Coric in the past. Plus, it’s not exactly that far in the past…

Borna Coric has won both of his previous two meetings with Roger Federer.

On the 2018 ATP Tour, the Croatian defeated Federer in Shanghai and Halle. The match in Shanghai was during the semifinals and the Halle meeting was a final. Federer did win one match against Coric in 2018 and a prior meeting way back in 2015….

Coincidentally, the 2015 matchup was also during the Dubai Tennis Championships semifinals. We have a rematch. Now, the greatest champion in Dubai has to prove that he is exactly that when he takes on Coric next in the semifinals.

Back in 2015, he ousted the young Croatian with ease, winning 6-2, 6-1. Federer would advance to the finals where he defeated Serbian great Novak Djokovic. The upcoming semifinals match between Federer and Coric will determine who has scoreboard in their career head to head.

Federer has won three tough matches so far at the Dubai Tennis Championships and Coric is right there with them. Do not expect this semifinals match to be anything different. Two players, both with momentum, both with success and struggles against one another, anything can happen. For the sake of having to pick a winner, we will go with the Swiss great in three sets. Coric will be a massive test though.

Stay tuned to see how the Dubai Tennis Championships semifinals unfold this weekend. Federer and Coric are just half of the action and there is no doubt that fans will be entertained during both semifinals matches.