Match Details
Fixture: (3) Daniil Medvedev vs (2) Felix Auger-Aliassime
Date: 24 February, 2023
Tournament: Qatar ExxonMobil Open
Round: Semifinals
Venue: Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex, Doha
Category: ATP 250
Surface: Outdoor Hardcourt
Prize money: $1,377,025
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video
Daniil Medvedev vs Felix Auger-Aliassime preview
Third seed Daniil Medvedev will lock horns with second seed Felix Auger-Aliassime for a place in the final of the Qatar Open on Friday (February 24).
Medevedev won both his matches this week - Liam Broady in the second round and Christopher O'Connell in the quarterfinals - to extend his win streak to seven matches. The World No. 8 arrived in the Qatari capital off his first title of the year in Rotterdam last week and is now 12-2 on the season.
Meanwhile, World No. 9 Auger-Aliassime has improved to 7-3 in 2023 after seeing off Jason Kubler in the second round and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the last eight. He's coming off a quarterfinal final loss to Medvedev in Rotterdam last week.
Daniil Medvedev vs Felix Auger-Aliassime head-to-head
Medvedev owns a commanding 5-0 head-to-head lead over Auger Aliassime, with the pair's last meeting coming last week in the Rotterdam quarterfinals, which ended the Canadian's title defense.
Daniil Medvedev vs Felix Auger-Aliassime odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Daniil Medvedev vs Felix Auger-Aliassime prediction
This is a matchup between two top-ten players with a rather similar counterpunching style of play.
While Medvedev is clearly the in-form player, riding a seven-match win streak, Auger-Aliassime is into his first semifinal of the season. However, the Russian has clearly got Auger-Aliassime's number - dropping just four sets in five previous meetings.
Their last meeting was a straight-sets win for Medvedev, who went on to win the title at Rotterdam last week. Considering how the matchup has gone the way of the former World No. 1, it looks difficult to predict any outcome other than a Medvedev win.
The Russian could be a bit weary, though, playing his eighth match in less than two weeks across two continents. Auger-Aliassime, meanwhile, is relatively fresh, arriving in Doha earlier than Medvedev to acclimatize with the conditions.
A brisk start would be key for Auger-Aliassime, who will look to employ an aggressive brand of tennis to draw first blood and avoid too many baseline exchanges, where Medvedev is clearly the better player.
Pick: Auger-Aliassime in three sets