Sunday final previews: Abu Dhabi Open (WTA 500) and Dallas Open (ATP 250)

Super Bowl Sunday is not the only big sporting event happening. There are two great final tennis matches in different parts of the world that tennis fans will be paying close attention to.

At 8:00 AM EST, Elena Rybakina will be taking on Daria Kasatkina in the Abu Dhabi Open women's singles final. Rybakina and Kasatkina each have two wins in their previous four matches. All of the matches happened on hard courts, and three of the four were tight three-set affairs.

Rybakina won one title so far this year at Brisbane International. She has won six titles in her career, most notably the 2022 Wimbledon Championships. Kasatkina also possesses six career titles with her best Grand Slam finish as a semifinalist at the 2022 French Open.

The Abu Dhabi Open champion will be crowned in the morning, but the Dallas Open champion will receive his trophy in the afternoon.

At 1:00 PM EST, the Dallas Open final will take place. It is an all-American matchup between Tommy Paul and Marcos Giron. Tommy Paul dispatched fellow American Ben Shelton in straight sets in the semifinal.

Marcos Giron is ranked 67th in the world but is playing like a Top 20 player. He masterfully defeated both the tournament's top and fourth seeds, Frances Tiafoe and Adrian Mannarino respectively.
Giron is 30 years old; he played college tennis at UCLA. He has never won an ATP title.

Tommy Paul has been consistently improving his game and rising in the rankings. He is currently ranked 15th but achieved the career-high ranking of 12th last fall. His sole title is a hardcourt win in Stockholm over Dennis Shapovalov in 2021.

American tennis fans are torn in this match. Paul is the higher-ranked player and the perceived favorite. Both players are well-liked among their peers and fans. Good luck to both men.

Read more on Lob and Smash