Christopher O’Connell vs Grigor Dimitrov Preview & Prediction | 2025 Dubai Tennis Championships | First Round

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Christopher O’Connell came through some tough qualifying matches at the weekend and he has been rewarded with a clash against Grigor Dimitrov in the first round

Ranking points: ATP 500

Start date/time: Tuesday 25th February, 2025: UK – not before 1:30pm / US ET – not before 8:30am / US PT – not before 5:30am

Venue: Aviation Club Tennis Centre, Dubai, UAE

Surface: Outdoor hard

How to watch on TV: UK – Sky Sports Tennis / US – Tennis Channel

How to watch online: UK – Sky Go / US – Tennis Channel

Tickets: Visit this link for the latest Christopher O’Connell vs Grigor Dimitrov ticket information

Christopher O’Connell vs Grigor Dimitrov Prediction

Christopher O’Connell had to overcome Botic van de Zandschulp in qualifying at the weekend to make it to the main draw, but that 7-6 6-4 win will boost his confidence coming into this first-round match.

He has drawn sixth-seed Grigor Dimitrov in the first round so the challenges only keep getting harder for the Australian but he will be hoping to push the legendary Bulgarian all the way here.

The pair have met three times before and Dimitrov has won on all three occasions with O’Connell winning just one of the eight sets. That does not bode well ahead of this match.

Dimitrov had to withdraw from the Australian Open through injury and he only returned to action last week in Doha. He was beaten by an in-form Jiri Lehecka in the first round there so he has played very little tennis in recent weeks.

He will fancy his chances of getting a win under his belt here and building some momentum. The draw has been kind to the veteran and we expect Dimitrov to get the win and move into the round of 16.

Christopher O’Connell vs Grigor Dimitrov Tip: Grigor Dimitrov to win 2-0