Mubadala World Tennis Championship 2022: Andrey Rublev vs Borna Coric preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (4) Andrey Rublev vs (6) Borna Coric.
Date: 16 December 2022.
Tournament: Mubadala World Tennis Championship.
Round: Quarterfinal.
Venue: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Category: Exhibition Tournament.
Surface: Outdoor Hardcourt.
Prize money: $250,000.
Match timing: Not before 6 pm local time, 2 pm GMT, 9 am ET and 7:30 pm IST.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | Australia - Stan Sport.
Andrey Rublev vs Borna Coric preview
Defending champion Andrey Rublev will square off against World No. 26 Borna Coric in the quarterfinals of the 2022 Mubadala World Tennis Championship on Friday.
After a third-round exit from the Australian Open, Rublev's campaign garnered some steam. He clinched consecutive titles in Marseille and Dubai, with his winning streak coming to an end in the semifinals of the Indian Wells Masters. He won his third title of the year at the Serbia Open, defeating Novak Djokovic in the final.
Rublev then made it to the quarterfinals of the French Open. He lost his only match of the grass swing at the Halle Open and wasn't able to compete at Wimbledon due to a ban on Russian players. His results in the lead-up to the US Open were inconsistent but still made it to the last eight.
Rublev nabbed his fourth title of the year in Gijon and made it to the semifinals of the ATP Finals for the first time in his career. At last week's exhibition event in Saudi Arabia, he lost to Stan Wawrinka in the quarterfinals.
Coric was on the comeback trail for most of the year following shoulder surgery. After a string of early losses, his perseverance was finally rewarded when he claimed the biggest title of his career at the Masters 1000 event in Cincinnati. He defeated Lorenzo Musetti, Rafael Nadal, Roberto Bautista Agut, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Cameron Norrie and Stefanos Tsitsipas to win the title.
Coric failed to carry this momentum into the US Open, bowing out of the tournament in the second round. He then reached the quarterfinals in Tokyo and the semifinals in Vienna. He was dumped out of the Paris Masters in the first round but helped Croatia reach the semifinals of the Davis Cup afterwards.
Andrey Rublev vs Borna Coric head-to-head
Rublev leads Coric 4-0 in the head-to-head. He won their previous encounter at the 2020 St. Petersburg Open in straight sets.
Andrey Rublev vs Borna Coric odds
Odds will be added once they're available.
Andrey Rublev vs Borna Coric prediction
Rublev's perfect winning record against Coric makes him the favorite to come out on top in this encounter. Aside from his fairytale run in Cincinnati, the Croat has notched up just a couple of good results. His opponent, on the other hand, has been consistent for most of the year.
With contrasting playstyles, Rublev's aggressive mindset has always yielded positive results against Coric's defensive play. The Russian managed to win some close encounters during the ATP Finals last month. He's the better server between the two, which will further sway the tide in his favor.
So far, simply trying to counter Rublev's game hasn't worked out for Coric. He'll need to try out some tactics and take some more initiative. Given their performances so far, the Russian should be able to make light work of his opponent.
Pick: Andrey Rublev to win in straight sets.