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While some of the top players have already been eliminated from the Dubai Tennis Championships, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff and Elena Rybakina remain in the fray. The top seeds at the Qatar Open have also made it to the quarterfinals.
Alex de Minaur was stunned by Alex Michelsen in the second round, but defending champion Stefanos Tsitsipas safely made it to the last eight at the Los Cabos Open.
With a host of tournaments happening this week, there are quite a few big names ready to take to the court. But some fixtures are more exciting than others. So here are the top five matches scheduled for Thursday that one cannot afford to skip:
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#1 - Iga Swiatek vs Zheng Qinwen
The top-ranked Swiatek will take on Australian Open runner-up Zheng in the evening session of the Dubai Tennis Championships. The two have faced off four times previously with the Pole coming out on top on each occasion. However, three of their four matches have gone the distance.
Swiatek is on a six-match winning streak which commenced with last week's triumph at the Qatar Open. Zheng won consecutive matches for the first time this week since her run in Melbourne. This could be another close encounter between the two if they maintain their form.
Date: February 22, 2024.
Time: Starting at 7:00 p.m. local time, 3:00 p.m. GMT, 8:30 p.m. IST and 10:00 a.m. ET.
#2 - Coco Gauff vs Anna Kalinskaya
After an early exit from the Qatar Open, Gauff has bounced back with consecutive wins at the Dubai Tennis Championships. She will now face Kalinskaya in the quarterfinals on Thursday.
Gauff rallied from a set down to defeat Karolina Pliskova 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 in the previous round. Kalinskaya came through the qualifying rounds and sent Jelena Ostapenko packing in the last round. She's yet to drop a set across any of her matches and could give the American a tough time.
Date: February 22, 2024.
Time: Approx. at 9:00 p.m. local time, 5:00 p.m. GMT, 10:30 p.m. IST and 12:00 p.m. ET.
Where to watch Dubai Tennis Championships
Viewers in the USA and UK can watch the Dubai Tennis Championships live on the following channels and sites:
USA: The official broadcaster in the region is Tennis Channel.
UK: Matches will be telecast on Sky Sports.
For more information regarding the broadcast of matches, click here.
#3 - Ugo Humbert vs Gael Monfils
The all-French quarterfinal showdown between Humbert and Monfils is one of the must-see matches of the day. The 25-year-old is the more in-form player as he won the Open 13 Provence and cracked the top 20 of the ATP rankings.
As for Monfils, his wins over Botic van de Zandschulp and Zhizhen Zhang at the Qatar Open mark the first time he has won back-to-back matches this season. Humbert will be the favorite to win this one and has won both of his prior matches against the veteran, but one can't discount the latter at any cost.
Date: February 22, 2024
Time: Approx. 8:00 p.m. local time, 10:30 p.m. IST, 5:00 p.m. GMT and 12:00 p.m. ET.
#4 - Andrey Rublev vs Jakub Mensik
Rublev made light work of Richard Gasquet to make the last eight of the Qatar Open as he scored a 6-3, 6-4 win. Mensik, on the other hand, had to dig deep for a 7-6 (6), 6-7 (3), 7-6 (4) win over Andy Murray.
Rublev will be eyeing to advance beyond the quarterfinals since his title-winning run at the Hong Kong Open at the start of the season. He has since lost at this stage in Rotterdam last week and the Australian Open before that.
However, Mensik has the potential to spring a surprise considering the youngster is touted as one of the future stars of the sport.
Date: February 22, 2024.
Time: Starting at 6:00 p.m. local time, 8:30 p.m. IST, 3:00 p.m. GMT and 10:00 a.m. ET.
Where to watch Qatar Open 2024?
Viewers from the following countries can watch the tournament live on their respective channels and sites:
USA: All matches will be broadcast on Tennis Channel.
UK: Fans in the region can tune in to Sky Sports.
Canada: Viewers in Canada can watch all the matches on TSN+.
#5 - Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Aleksandar Kovacevic
Tsitsipas kicked off his title defense at the Los Cabos Open with an easy 6-3, 6-0 win over Aleksandar Vukic. He looked to be in far better form than what he displayed in Australia at the start of the year.
Tsitsipas will next face qualifier Kovacevic in the quarterfinals, who defeated Rinky Hijikata 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 in the previous round. If the Greek replicates his level from the last round, this should be a cakewalk for him as well.
Date: February 22, 2024.
Time: TBA
Where to watch Los Cabos Open 2024?
Viewers from the following countries can watch the action live on their respective channels and sites:
USA: All matches will be broadcast on Tennis Channel.
UK: Fans in the region can tune in to Sky Sports.
Canada: Viewers in Canada can watch all the matches on TSN+.
