Dubai Tennis Championships 2022: Jannik Sinner vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina preview, head-to-head and prediction

Match details

Fixture: (4) Jannik Sinner vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.

Tournament: Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships 2022.

Round: First Round (Round of 32).

Venue: Dubai, UAE.

Category: ATP 500.

Surface: Outdoor Hardcourt.

Prize money: $2,794,840

Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video.

Jannik Sinner vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina preview

Fourth seed Jannik Sinner will take on Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the first round of the 2022 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.

Sinner has had an outstanding start to the year that has seen him crack the top 10 of the ATP rankings. The Italian won all of his singles matches at the ATP Cup prior to the Australian Open.

He carried that form into the first Major, where he made it to the quarterfinals with relative ease after defeating Joao Sousa, Taro Daniel, Steve Johnson and Alex de Minaur. He was beaten by Stefanos Tsitsipas in the last eight.

Sinner will now shift his focus to Dubai, where he will be making his debut.

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina at the 2021 French Open

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina has started the season in solid fashion and currently holds a 5-5 win-loss record.

After early losses at the Australian Open, Marseille, and Rotterdam, the Spaniard made the quarterfinals in Doha. He defeated Malek Jaziri and Dan Evans before losing to Roberto Bautista Agut.

Jannik Sinner vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina head-to-head

This will be the first meeting between Jannik Sinner and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, so their head-to-head currently stands at 0-0.

Jannik Sinner vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina prediction

Jannik Sinner at the 2022 Australian Open

On form and ranking alone, Jannik Sinner is the overwhelming favorite to win this match.

The 20-year-old has a formidable record on hardcourt, which suits his gamestyle. Sinner possesses a decent serve and extremely powerful groundstrokes. He likes to take time away from his opponents by taking the ball on the rise and moving inside the baseline.

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina does not possess the same kind of firepower as Sinner, but what he lacks in strength, he makes up for in footspeed and determination. The Spaniard will look to engage Sinner in long rallies and try to frustrate the Italian into making unforced errors.

But Sinner has been remarkably consistent in recent months and he should be able to thwart any challenge posed by his opponent.

Prediction: Jannik Sinner to win in three sets.